Big Deep - An Ocean Podcast

In today's episode, I speak with award-winning author, film producer, and underwater photographer Pier Nirandara.

Pier's connection to the ocean started as a young girl growing up in Bangkok, Thailand, with weekend family trips to a nearby beach house. Her time there sparked an interest in storytelling, which led her to writing a trilogy of novels about mermaids when she was just 15 years old.  And, remarkably, ...

In today's episode I speak with Jamal Galves, program director at Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and National Geographic Explorer and Edge Fellow.

Jamal's work focuses particularly on the Antillean manatee of his native Belize. Jamal's passion for marine wildlife runs deep and, in particular, his connection to manatees reaches back to when he was a kid, growing up in the rough, impoverished ne...

In today's episode, I speak with Cash Daniels, an ocean and river conservationist, Time Magazine honorary finalist as "Kid of the Year," and co-founder of the ocean activism and conservation nonprofit called The Cleanup Kids.

Cash had been a big fan of the show for a while, but, as someone being so engaged in ocean conservation at such a young age, I felt Cash's story was impressive and thought he migh...

In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Alex Hearn, a marine ecologist at the Universidad de San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador.

Alex's work is focused on marine conservation in and around the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of South America, which is part of Ecuador. Alex is one of the scientists working to establish the Galapagos Marine Reserve, one of the world's largest underwater areas dedicated to protecti...

In today's episode, I speak with explorer, ocean activist, and television journalist, Kinga Philipps.

Kinga was one of the founding journalists and hosts of Al Gore's Current TV and since has gone on to host several shows on National Geographic and Travel Channel, most recently becoming the first female host on Discovery Channel's Shark Week.

However, I was interested in talking to Kinga because o...

In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Madeline McAllister, senior Curator of Maritime Archaeology at the Queensland Museum and James Cook University in Townsville, Australia.

Dr McAllister, or Maddy as she's called, focuses her work on historic shipwrecks and underwater archaeology in Australasia, with a special interest in shipwrecks on the Great Barrier Reef. And this comes as no surprise as her offices look ou...

In today's episode, I speak with Brazilian big wave surfer Maya Gabeira, one of the most famous female surfers in the world.

Maya is a seven-time world champion in the World Surf League and a two-time world record holder for the largest wave surfed, including in 2020, where she surfed the biggest wave of the year for both men and women combined.

Beyond that, and perhaps as no surprise, she is also deeply comm...

In today's episode, I speak with South African edible ocean and landscape forager Roushanna Gray.

When I first heard of Roushanna's unique take on eating from the wild landscape, I was intrigued, particularly as it related to her deep dive into the seaweed off her local coast in Cape Town. I was interested in her foraging with the over 900 edible seaweeds found in South Africa's intertidal rock pools.
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In today's episode, I speak with explorer, renowned ichthyologist and deep coral reef pioneer, Richard Pyle. Richard's life story has been one of adventure and exploration, particularly a fascination with deep coral reefs far below where most recreational divers dive.

And this points to a deeper aspect of Richard's personality, a part I resonated with, which is challenging and rethinking deeply held assumpt...

In today's episode, I speak with maritime archeologist, historian, author, television host, and explorer Jim Delgado. Jim's work has taken him around the globe, and he has known is one of the world's foremost experts in underwater archeology. And his CV reads almost like the greatest history of that field.

He started with the National Park Service in San Francisco, then went on to work for NOAA as the Direct...

In this episode,  iconic freediver Mehgan Heaney-Grier. Mehgan's life story is wildly eclectic and has elements that originally attracted me, particularly its sense of rugged individualism and carving your own path.

As a teenager and underwater model, she was a pioneer as she set the first U.S. freedive record for both men and women in the constant-weight category. And this earned her a place as one of the original i...

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Steve Gittings, chief science officer for NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. In addition to overseeing science at all 14 United States Marine sanctuaries, and being on numerous boards for ocean environmental organizations, he lives one of the most eclectic lives I know.

As an example, he spent time recording and studying humpback whale songs off Hawaii with National Geographic ph...

In today's episode, I speak with Doug Anderson, considered to be one of the world's best underwater cameramen.

Doug works on primarily what are called blue chip wildlife films, which try to tell compelling stories focused on a specific animals in magnificent pristine landscapes, and have budgets in the area of $1 million per hour or more.

For Doug, this has meant traveling the world to film in the world...

In today's episode, I speak with Sarah Richard founder of the world's largest community for female divers, Girls That Scuba, and the ancillary Girls That Free Dive.

With over 700,000 members in just under four years, the group has exploded onto the ocean scene and commands a powerful presence online. And much of that is simply because of Sarah's character and determination.

But having gotten to kn...

In today's episode, I speak with journalist and filmmaker Erik Olsen.  Erik’s video journalism has taken him around the world, but his passion most always lies underwater in our world's oceans. His career has spanned ABC News, The Atlantic, Popular Science, and The New York Times.

And earlier this year he had a big spread in the Times Science section where he explored the world of backwater photography where underwater pho...

In today's episode, I speak with former pro surfer, surf journalist, and Fullbright scholar Jamie Brisick.

I originally met Jamie as he grew up in Southern California with a close friend of mine, who thought he might be a great guest for the show. And he was, both contemplative and fun to talk to.

Jamie told me how he discovered his lifelong passion for surfing at an early age in Malibu, and before long he was traveling the worl...

In this episode, I speak with Marine Biologist and Co-Founder of Minorities in Shark Science, Jasmine Graham.

I originally reached out to Jasmine because I had seen a talk given by her and her passion and enthusiasm for sharks and rays was infectious. But additionally, I was interested to learn more about the purpose of the organization she co-founded with three other women focused on creating opportunities in the marine sciences, a...

Today I speak with Michael Menduno, one of the most accomplished ocean technology and dive reporters for the past 30 years. 

Michael’s work is everywhere. He is editor-in-chief of Global Underwater Explorers InDepth magazine, a contributing editor for DAN Europe’s Alert Diver and X-Ray magazine, and is on the board of directors for the Historical Diving Society.

Michael is also very active in the technical and exploration diving worl...

In this episode, I speak with journalist, filmmaker,  and ocean activist Alexandra Cousteau. Alexandra has a long legacy of working to protect our world's oceans and is the founder of Oceans 2050.

She is also on the board of the incredible environmental organization Oceana, which works to protect and restore the oceans on a global scale, and it was Oceana who originally connected me with Alexandra.

If Alexand...