ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Thomas Peschak - Conservation photographer
Thomas Peschak strives to merge photojournalism and cutting edge science to create powerful media projects that tackle critical marine conservation issues.

Why you should listen

Thomas P. Peschak is an assignment photographer for National Geographic Magazine and the Director of Conservation for the Save our Seas Foundation (SOSF). He is a senior fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and has been named as one of the 40 most influential nature photographers in the world.

Originally trained as a marine biologist, he retired from science fieldwork in 2004. He became an environmental photojournalist after realizing that he could have a greater conservation impact with photographs than statistics. Yet he remains rooted in marine science through his roles as Director of Conservation for SOSF and Founding/Associate Director of the Manta Trust.

Thomas has written and photographed five books: Currents of Contrast, Great White Shark, Wild Seas Secret Shores and Lost World. His latest book, Sharks and People, was released in 2013 and chronicles the relationship between people and sharks around the world.

He is a multiple winner in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards and in 2011 and 2013 he received World Press Photo Awards for his work.

More profile about the speaker
Thomas Peschak | Speaker | TED.com
Mission Blue II

Thomas Peschak: Dive into an ocean photographer's world

Filmed:
1,099,559 views

Somersaulting manta rays, dashing dolphins, swarming schools of fish and munching sharks inhabit a world beneath the ocean's surface that few get a chance to see. Conservation photographer Thomas Peschak visits incredible seascapes around the world, and his photos reveal these hidden ecosystems. "You can't love something and become a champion for it if you don't know it exists," he says. Join Peschak in a new, immersive TED Talk format as he shares his stunning work and his dream for a future of respectful coexistence with the ocean.
- Conservation photographer
Thomas Peschak strives to merge photojournalism and cutting edge science to create powerful media projects that tackle critical marine conservation issues. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
As a kid, I used to dream about the ocean.
0
844
2593
00:15
It was this wild place
full of color and life,
1
3461
3459
00:19
home to these alien-looking,
fantastical creatures.
2
7812
3220
00:23
I pictured big sharks
ruling the food chain
3
11056
2418
00:25
and saw graceful sea turtles
dancing across coral reefs.
4
13498
3204
00:28
As a marine biologist turned photographer,
5
16726
2015
00:30
I've spent most of my career
looking for places
6
18765
2820
00:33
as magical as those I used
to dream about when I was little.
7
21609
3230
00:37
As you can see,
8
25479
1151
00:38
I began exploring bodies of water
at a fairly young age.
9
26654
2626
00:41
But the first time
I truly went underwater,
10
29304
2016
00:43
I was about 10 years old.
11
31344
1401
00:44
And I can still vividly remember
furiously finning
12
32769
2647
00:47
to reach this old, encrusted
cannon on a shallow coral reef.
13
35440
3475
00:50
And when I finally managed
to grab hold of it,
14
38939
2168
00:53
I looked up, and I was instantly
surrounded by fish
15
41131
3085
00:56
in all colors of the rainbow.
16
44240
1949
00:58
That was the day
I fell in love with the ocean.
17
46213
2603
01:00
Thomas Peschak
18
48840
1365
01:02
Conservation Photographer
19
50229
1683
01:04
In my 40 years on this planet,
20
52991
1650
01:06
I've had the great privilege to explore
21
54665
1858
01:08
some of its most incredible seascapes
22
56547
2088
01:10
for National Geographic Magazine
23
58659
1988
01:12
and the Save Our Seas Foundation.
24
60671
1627
01:14
I've photographed everything
from really, really big sharks
25
62322
3116
01:17
to dainty ones that fit
in the palm of your hand.
26
65462
3193
01:20
I've smelled the fishy, fishy breath
of humpback whales
27
68679
2952
01:23
feeding just feet away from me
28
71655
1611
01:25
in the cold seas off Canada's
Great Bear Rainforest.
29
73290
2824
01:28
And I've been privy to the mating rituals
of green sea turtles
30
76138
2937
01:31
in the Mozambique Channel.
31
79099
1338
01:32
Everyone on this planet affects
and is affected by the ocean.
32
80461
3724
01:36
And the pristine seas
I used to dream of as a child
33
84209
2753
01:38
are becoming harder and harder to find.
34
86986
2692
01:41
They are becoming more compressed
35
89702
2095
01:43
and more threatened.
36
91821
1846
01:45
As we humans continue to maintain our role
37
93691
2554
01:48
as the leading predator on earth,
38
96269
2341
01:50
I've witnessed and photographed
many of these ripple effects firsthand.
39
98634
4419
01:55
For a long time, I thought
I had to shock my audience
40
103077
3172
01:58
out of their indifference
with disturbing images.
41
106273
2309
02:00
And while this approach has merits,
42
108606
1900
02:02
I have come full circle.
43
110530
1346
02:04
I believe that the best way
for me to effect change
44
112368
2619
02:07
is to sell love.
45
115011
1597
02:08
I guess I'm a matchmaker of sorts
46
116632
2047
02:10
and as a photographer,
47
118703
1485
02:12
I have the rare opportunity
48
120212
1810
02:14
to reveal animals and entire ecosystems
49
122046
2322
02:16
that lie hidden beneath
the ocean's surface.
50
124392
3041
02:19
You can't love something
and become a champion for it
51
127457
2785
02:22
if you don't know it exists.
52
130266
2135
02:24
Uncovering this -- that is the power
of conservation photography.
53
132425
4222
02:29
(Music)
54
137154
2000
02:32
I've visited hundreds of marine locations,
55
140561
2800
02:35
but there are a handful of seascapes
56
143385
1926
02:37
that have touched me incredibly deeply.
57
145335
2014
02:40
The first time I experienced
that kind of high
58
148928
2718
02:43
was about 10 years ago,
59
151670
1393
02:45
off South Africa's rugged, wild coast.
60
153087
2835
02:47
And every June and July,
61
155946
1346
02:49
enormous shoals of sardines
travel northwards
62
157316
2409
02:51
in a mass migration
we call the Sardine Run.
63
159749
2325
02:54
And boy, do those fish
have good reason to run.
64
162098
2609
02:56
In hot pursuit are hoards
of hungry and agile predators.
65
164731
4289
03:01
Common dolphins hunt together
66
169044
1858
03:02
and they can separate some
of the sardines from the main shoal
67
170926
2921
03:05
and they create bait balls.
68
173871
1404
03:07
They drive and trap the fish upward
against the ocean surface
69
175299
3688
03:11
and then they rush in to dine
70
179011
1568
03:12
on this pulsating and movable feast.
71
180603
2811
03:15
Close behind are sharks.
72
183438
1796
03:17
Now, most people believe
73
185258
1155
03:18
that sharks and dolphins
are these mortal enemies,
74
186437
2377
03:20
but during the Sardine Run,
they actually coexist.
75
188838
2772
03:23
In fact, dolphins actually
help sharks feed more effectively.
76
191634
4171
03:27
Without dolphins, the bait balls
are more dispersed
77
195829
3582
03:31
and sharks often end up
with what I call a sardine donut,
78
199435
3738
03:35
or a mouth full of water.
79
203197
1460
03:36
Now, while I've had a few spicy moments
with sharks on the sardine run,
80
204681
4041
03:40
I know they don't see me as prey.
81
208746
2066
03:42
However, I get bumped and tail-slapped
just like any other guest
82
210836
3203
03:46
at this rowdy, rowdy banquet.
83
214063
1769
03:49
From the shores of Africa we travel east,
84
217785
2929
03:52
across the vastness
that is the Indian Ocean
85
220738
2101
03:54
to the Maldives, an archipelago
of coral islands.
86
222863
3892
03:58
And during the stormy southwest monsoon,
87
226779
2538
04:01
manta rays from all across the archipelago
88
229341
2310
04:03
travel to a tiny speck
in Baa Atoll called Hanifaru.
89
231675
3253
04:06
Armies of crustaceans,
90
234952
1183
04:08
most no bigger than the size
of your pupils,
91
236159
2214
04:10
are the mainstay of the manta ray's diet.
92
238397
3185
04:14
When plankton concentrations
become patchy,
93
242185
2783
04:16
manta rays feed alone
94
244992
1186
04:18
and they somersault themselves
backwards again and again,
95
246202
2712
04:20
very much like a puppy
chasing its own tail.
96
248938
2351
04:23
(Music)
97
251757
2000
04:27
However, when plankton densities increase,
98
255011
2493
04:29
the mantas line up head-to-tail
to form these long feeding chains,
99
257528
4199
04:33
and any tasty morsel that escapes
the first or second manta in line
100
261751
3324
04:37
is surely to be gobbled up
by the next or the one after.
101
265099
3456
04:41
As plankton levels peak in the bay,
102
269912
1896
04:43
the mantas swim closer and closer together
103
271832
2205
04:46
in a unique behavior
we call cyclone feeding.
104
274061
2361
04:48
And as they swirl in tight formation,
105
276852
2270
04:51
this multi-step column of mantas
106
279146
1671
04:52
creates its own vortex, sucking in
and delivering the plankton
107
280841
3877
04:56
right into the mantas' cavernous mouths.
108
284742
2808
04:59
The experience of diving
amongst such masses of hundreds of rays
109
287574
4342
05:03
is truly unforgettable.
110
291940
2028
05:06
(Music)
111
294881
2000
05:54
When I first photographed Hanifaru,
112
342248
1681
05:55
the site enjoyed no protection
113
343953
1562
05:57
and was threatened by development.
114
345539
1623
05:59
And working with NGOs
like the Manta Trust,
115
347186
2103
06:01
my images eventually helped Hanifaru
116
349313
1881
06:03
become a marine-protected area.
117
351218
2427
06:05
Now, fisherman from neighboring islands,
118
353669
2076
06:07
they once hunted these manta rays
119
355769
1670
06:09
to make traditional drums
from their skins.
120
357463
2624
06:12
Today, they are the most ardent
conservation champions
121
360111
3675
06:15
and manta rays earn the Maldivian economy
122
363810
2277
06:18
in excess of 8 million dollars
every single year.
123
366111
3713
06:23
I have always wanted
to travel back in time
124
371182
2349
06:25
to an era where maps were mostly blank
125
373555
2590
06:28
or they read, "There be dragons."
126
376169
1929
06:30
And today, the closest I've come
is visiting remote atolls
127
378122
3584
06:33
in the western Indian Ocean.
128
381730
1692
06:35
Far, far away from shipping lanes
and fishing fleets,
129
383446
3221
06:38
diving into these waters
is a poignant reminder
130
386691
3334
06:42
of what our oceans once looked like.
131
390049
2428
06:44
Very few people have heard
of Bassas da India,
132
392501
2629
06:47
a tiny speck of coral
in the Mozambique Channel.
133
395154
3421
06:51
Its reef forms a protective outer barrier
134
399202
3143
06:54
and the inner lagoon is a nursery ground
135
402369
2676
06:57
for Galapagos sharks.
136
405069
1515
06:58
These sharks are anything but shy,
even during the day.
137
406608
4607
07:03
I had a bit of a hunch
that they'd be even bolder
138
411239
2619
07:05
and more abundant at night.
139
413882
1611
07:08
(Music)
140
416072
2000
07:16
Never before have I encountered
141
424179
1873
07:18
so many sharks on a single coral outcrop.
142
426076
3273
07:21
Capturing and sharing moments like this --
143
429373
3005
07:25
that reminds me why I chose my path.
144
433480
2604
07:29
Earlier this year, I was on assignment
for National Geographic Magazine
145
437488
3758
07:33
in Baja California.
146
441270
1618
07:34
And about halfway down the peninsula
on the Pacific side
147
442912
2737
07:37
lies San Ignacio Lagoon,
148
445673
1439
07:39
a critical calving ground for gray whales.
149
447136
2514
07:41
For 100 years, this coast was the scene
of a wholesale slaughter,
150
449674
4266
07:45
where more than 20,000
gray whales were killed,
151
453964
2412
07:48
leaving only a few hundred survivors.
152
456400
2274
07:50
Today the descendents of these same whales
153
458698
2670
07:53
nudge their youngsters to the surface
154
461392
1863
07:55
to play and even interact with us.
155
463279
3055
07:59
(Music)
156
467247
2000
08:08
This species truly has made
a remarkable comeback.
157
476577
4420
08:14
Now, on the other side
of the peninsula lies Cabo Pulmo,
158
482568
2971
08:17
a sleepy fishing village.
159
485563
1673
08:19
Decades of overfishing
had brought them close to collapse.
160
487260
3434
08:22
In 1995, local fisherman
convinced the authorities
161
490718
2460
08:25
to proclaim their waters a marine reserve.
162
493202
2252
08:27
But what happened next
was nothing short of miraculous.
163
495478
3553
08:31
In 2005, after only
a single decade of protection,
164
499055
4270
08:35
scientists measured the largest
recovery of fish ever recorded.
165
503349
4493
08:39
But don't take my word
for it -- come with me.
166
507866
2411
08:42
On a single breath, swim with me in deep,
167
510301
2738
08:45
into one of the largest
and densest schools of fish
168
513063
3032
08:48
I have ever encountered.
169
516119
2573
08:51
(Music)
170
519485
2000
09:03
We all have the ability
to be creators of hope.
171
531135
2834
09:05
And through my photography,
172
533993
1928
09:07
I want to pass on the message
that it is not too late for our oceans.
173
535945
3463
09:11
And particularly, I want to focus
on nature's resilience
174
539432
3435
09:14
in the face of 7.3 billion people.
175
542891
3986
09:18
My hope is that in the future,
176
546901
1817
09:20
I will have to search much, much harder
177
548742
1950
09:22
to make photographs like this,
178
550716
2185
09:24
while creating images that showcase
179
552925
2085
09:27
our respectful coexistence with the ocean.
180
555034
3019
09:30
Those will hopefully become
an everyday occurrence for me.
181
558077
3401
09:34
To thrive and survive in my profession,
182
562836
2275
09:37
you really have to be a hopeless optimist.
183
565135
2993
09:40
And I always operate on the assumption
184
568152
2021
09:42
that the next great picture
that will effect change
185
570197
3105
09:45
is right around the corner,
186
573326
1803
09:47
behind the next coral head,
187
575153
2333
09:49
inside the next lagoon
188
577510
1602
09:51
or possibly, in the one after it.
189
579136
2649
09:54
(Music)
190
582673
2000

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Thomas Peschak - Conservation photographer
Thomas Peschak strives to merge photojournalism and cutting edge science to create powerful media projects that tackle critical marine conservation issues.

Why you should listen

Thomas P. Peschak is an assignment photographer for National Geographic Magazine and the Director of Conservation for the Save our Seas Foundation (SOSF). He is a senior fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers and has been named as one of the 40 most influential nature photographers in the world.

Originally trained as a marine biologist, he retired from science fieldwork in 2004. He became an environmental photojournalist after realizing that he could have a greater conservation impact with photographs than statistics. Yet he remains rooted in marine science through his roles as Director of Conservation for SOSF and Founding/Associate Director of the Manta Trust.

Thomas has written and photographed five books: Currents of Contrast, Great White Shark, Wild Seas Secret Shores and Lost World. His latest book, Sharks and People, was released in 2013 and chronicles the relationship between people and sharks around the world.

He is a multiple winner in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards and in 2011 and 2013 he received World Press Photo Awards for his work.

More profile about the speaker
Thomas Peschak | Speaker | TED.com