Planet Ocean: Photo Stories from the ‘Defending Our Oceans’ Voyage

How inappropriate to call this planet Earth, when clearly it is Ocean. -Arthur C. Clarke

Three-quarters of the planet is ocean, 80 percent of all life lives here, and every second breath of air each of us takes is provided by the ocean. It gives us so much, yet we know relatively little about it.

Planet Ocean is a window onto this secret world. Through stunning photographs, taken on a sixteen-month Defending Our Oceans expedition, Greenpeace reveals wonderful sights that few people have seen, and also some that certain people would like us not to see.

Despite the vastness of the oceans, we now know that they are in crisis, struggling to absorb the impact of our destructive ways. This is the story of our oceans-their extraordinary beauty and diversity of life-and the equally astounding ways in which they are exploited.

Millions have watched this story unfold, following the most ambitious ocean expedition ever undertaken by Greenpeace. It’s a photographic journey that reveals the mysteries of the deep, explores seamounts and their ecosystems, identifies the biggest predators, circles the corals, and breaks through the surface to meet the people whose lives depend on the oceans.

The photographs in this book are the work of a team of world-class photographers assigned to the Defending our Oceans expedition.

Sara Holden has worked for Greenpeace International since 2000. She previously worked for Reuters Television as a political journalist.