The Great Migration of Life, a project that explores one of the largest migrations in the animal kingdom, located on the South African coast and threatened by climate change.
Photographer and explorer Alexis Rosenfeld set out on a mission that has brought him worldwide recognition. His dream was to tell the story of one of the largest migrations in the animal kingdom, threatened by climate change and seabed exploitation projects. A story that is set along the wild South African coast and that has led him to embark on a months-long adventure: The Great Migration of Life. The project was made possible by the UNESCO – 1 OCEAN team, which Rosenfeld himself leads.
The 1 OCEAN team is among the dives off Cape Gannets in search of sardines.
A reality in South Africa’s deep seas
Every year, with the arrival of the austral winter, the ocean currents off the east coast of South Africa are induced by the weather. As a result, they create a migratory corridor into which thousands of sardines enter. This is the beginning of a long journey of more than 1,500 kilometres. With this phenomenon, gigantic shoals of several kilometres in length are formed. And almost simultaneously, tens of thousands of dolphins, white sharks, sea lions, humpback whales, Cape gannets and Bryde’s whales join in, creating scenes of predation. This is the largest migration in the animal kingdom.
In addition to this phenomenon, the region is of interest for the exploitation of fossil energy deposits, which poses a threat to biodiversity. Between 2000 and 2015, 70% of the Cape penguin population disappeared.
For Alexis Rosenfeld, therefore, the expedition also serves the purpose of transmission and memory. As he explains, “every natural phenomenon is a page in the history of the world. Today, we must be aware that we may be the last to be able to observe it with our own eyes. Through our images, our role is to keep this formidable heritage alive for future generations.
The expedition by photographer Alexis Rosenfeld.
The project’s link to UNESCO and the United Nations
The Great Migration of Life expedition was launched on 12 June at UNESCO, as part of the launch of the new State of the Ocean Report on the threats to the ocean. In particular, the rate of ocean warming and sea level rise, which have doubled in 20 and 30 years respectively.
The project will also be broadcast on the Franco-German channel Arte in the form of a 52′ documentary, directed by John Jackson and Thomas Labourasse, and written by Thierry Piantanida.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the project is that it will be broadcast in 2025 on the occasion of the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) to be held in June 2025 in Nice. It will be presented in the form of a large exhibition accompanied by a 360° immersive experience.
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1 OCEAN aims to explore and document the deep sea, supporting scientific research missions to better understand and protect the Ocean, an exceptional common good.
On UNESCO, aware of the challenges related to the preservation of the Ocean, the United Nations proclaimed the Decade of the Oceans (2021-2030). This initiative aims to mobilise the scientific community, policy makers, businesses and civil society around the Ocean. For 10 years, UNESCO has been accompanying Alexis Rosenfeld and the 1 OCEAN project on their exploratory missions.
