A Cape Town marine biologist’s fascination with kelp will kick off season two of a nature conservation documentary series that features six environmentally conscious people from around the world.
Corona Studios in collaboration with a global cast of ocean enthusiasts have released the second season of their digital series, Free Range Humans: Nature Is Calling.
The six environmentalists left city life to heed the call to save the planet, its diverse ecosystems and marine life.
The series was created in anticipation of Ocean’s Week, June 8 to June 15.
Each episode has a different focus and showcases the ocean through a unique lens. The series highlights why the ocean’s health and vibrancy should be important to everyone.
Loyiso Dunga, a marine biologist, is among cast of six taking part in the second season. The other cast members are from Brazil, Canada, Argentina and Chile.
Dunga’s episode titled ‘The Kelp Keeper’ is the first of the six episodes.
“I love being able to take the stories that the ocean has and share it with the rest of the world and also bring it home to South Africa,” he said.
The marine biologist said being involved in this project showed diversity and representation.
“All of us are needed. The ocean is our heritage and it needs all of us to work together. We need to create as many opportunities to include everyone in South Africa,” he said.
With scientists estimating that more than half of oxygen from the atmosphere from the ocean, Dunga has dedicated the last ten years of his life to “helping the planet breathe”.
Dunga’s fight is to help save the African kelp forest as it is the only forest of giant bamboo kelp on the planet.
“Today, kelp forests of the world are facing degradation at a crucial time where our connection with mother nature has been largely severed,” he said.
The other episodes are titled, ‘The Coral Gardeners’, The Ecosystem Guardian’, ‘The Cacti Padre’, ‘The Shark Advocate’ and ‘The Sea Turtle Protector’.
The show is available for free on the Corona YouTube channel.