SeaLegacy

SeaLegacy is the global marketing, education, and communication agency for the ocean. Please visit us at www.sealegacy.org.

SeaLegacy is the global marketing education, and communication agency for ocean solutions. We create the strategies and content that move society from apathy to action. Founded and led by a passionate team of world class filmmakers, conservationists and photographers. SeaLegacy is a US-based 501(c)3 non profit institution based in Jupiter, Florida, USA.

06/11/2026

June is Orca Action Month here in the Pacific Northwest!

Orcas have a level of intelligence and social complexity that rivals our own. Although all orcas are the same species, they have distinct subpopulations with their own culture, dialect, diet, and genetics as unique as the ecosystems they inhabit.

The most endangered population is the Southern Resident killer whale, found in the Salish Sea around Seattle and Vancouver. Reduced to around 70-75 individuals by the marine park trade in the 1960s, they haven't recovered since. Accumulated pollutants compromise their immune and reproductive systems. Declining Chinook salmon, their preferred prey, leaves them facing chronic malnutrition. And heavy shipping traffic fills their waters with noise, drowning out their ability to communicate, navigate, and hunt.

Oceans Initiative is a local nonprofit conducting non-invasive research on SRKWs. Their work is the reason we understand these threats as well as we do, and they continue to research actionable solutions, like how even modest reductions in vessel speed can significantly reduce underwater noise.

Check out our short film about Oceans Initiative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM55nQeC7pA&t=4s

Photos by Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier & Paul Nicklen Photography

06/06/2026

Think you're a pretty good diver? A new study might say otherwise — and a lack of awareness may be taking a toll on already-stressed reefs.

New research, led by Dr. Bing Lin, observed more than 400 divers in the Philippines and Indonesia over 300 hours. On average, a diver bumps the reef once every four minutes, with 41% of those bumps causing observable damage to coral. Around 75% of divers rated themselves "better than average," yet the majority of coral damage was unintentional. Divers simply weren't aware they were bumping coral or kicking up sediment.

Coral reefs are already under enormous pressure from warming oceans, acidification, pollution, and more. Every additional impact, even minor unintentional damage, compounds on an already-stressed ecosystem. Improving buoyancy control and situational awareness is one of the few things we can actually control. Next time you dive, practice with your buddy — and dive guides, don't hesitate to offer tips!

Read the full article: https://tinyurl.com/zueukhpp

Photos by Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier

06/04/2026

Good news: Activism saved blue whales and coastal communities in Mexico!

In April, Mexican President Sheinbaum signed a decree to build a massive international deep-water port in Loreto, Baja California Sur. The port would have overlapped with a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its biodiversity and critical habitat for blue whales. Loreto’s local economy and way of life revolve around artisanal fishing and ecotourism, both of which would have been devastated by this project.

The announcement resulted in overwhelming public pushback, with a petition reaching over 1.2 million signatures. The project was officially revoked, and the community now has a seat at the table, with locals and scientists working alongside government officials to guide how their waters are managed going forward.

Stories like these give us hope that when we come together, the public holds more power than we may realize. A heartfelt thank you to the organizations and communities who rallied for Loreto, and to Mexico's environmental authorities and President Sheinbaum for listening and protecting it.

Photos by Paul Nicklen Photography & Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier

06/02/2026

Can you tell the difference between a real wildlife photo and a fake one?

It's getting harder. AI generates convincing wildlife images with fictional stories attached, spreading misinformation about animal behaviour. Unregulated tourism sends crowds into wild spaces, disrupting the feeding and breeding patterns animals need to survive. And as a new documentary, Captured, is exposing, game farms keep wild animals in concrete cells, brought out only to pose for cameras. The footage ends up in major films, magazine covers, and your social media feed.

The deception is widespread, raising hard questions about what we think we’re actually seeing, with real consequences for wildlife, ecosystems, and conservation.

Read Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier’s full essay with Katie Couric Media. It dives into the ethics of wildlife photography, the less visible practices behind the images we consume, the harm they can cause, and what you can do about it: https://katiecouric.com/news/sustainability/ai-generated-photos-nature-wildlife/

Photo by Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier

05/30/2026

Have you ever heard of a sea wolf?

These are a genetically distinct subspecies of grey wolf perfectly adapted to life by the ocean. Found along the remote coasts of British Columbia, they swim between islands and forage along the intertidal zone for salmon, herring eggs, shellfish, and kelp. In fact, more than 75% of their diet comes from the sea, linking ocean health directly to the survival of a land predator most people don't even know exists.

Sea wolves are among the most elusive animals on the coast. Almost everything we know about them comes from those willing to spend weeks camped in the field. That patient observation is how we learn and connect with the natural world. It is also becoming increasingly rare, and what we see online more and more is not what it appears.

Sign up for Ripple Effect with Katie Couric Media to read Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier’s full essay on what it took to earn a sea wolf's trust, and what happens when wildlife photography is no longer ethical: https://tinyurl.com/mr47y9zx

Photos by Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier & Paul Nicklen Photography

05/26/2026

Imagine camping out for weeks in a tiny blind on the shore, sitting still for hours on end, and then this happens. We think it was worth the wait.

Encounters like this are exceedingly rare, and when wildlife doesn’t want to be seen, the only thing to do is be patient and slowly earn their trust over time, no shortcuts. A short clip like this represents weeks, sometimes months, of sitting in the wild, weathering the elements, hoping for the best, but accepting the possibility that the moment might never come. That’s the method and used to film this elusive pack of sea wolf puppies singing on the coast of British Columbia.

Sign up for next week’s Ripple Effect with for the full story on the time earned this little pack’s trust and ended up an impromptu puppysitter — link in bio!

Video by

05/23/2026

Happy World Turtle Day!

Sea turtles have been navigating the high seas since the time of the dinosaurs. They were once so abundant, sailors were kept up at night from turtles bumping into the ship’s hull. There are seven species of sea turtles, and nearly all of them are threatened with extinction.

Sea turtles face numerous threats from poaching to unethical tourism, pollution, and bycatch. One interesting yet concerning way climate change impacts them is through reproduction. A sea turtle's s*x is not determined by chromosomes, but by the temperature of the sand. The warmer the sand, the more likely a turtle will be female, and too many females means not enough males to fertilize the eggs.

Although sea turtles are struggling, one species gives us hope. Green sea turtles were endangered just 40 years ago, and now, thanks to conservation efforts, they've had a major population rebound.

We hope one day the same can be said for every species of turtle.

Photos by Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier

05/21/2026

Remember the "God Squad" decision to remove protections for endangered whales in the Gulf of Mexico? The Trump administration isn't the only one selling nature out for industry — it’s just the loudest. In Canada, Carney’s government is just more subtle about it.

Days after announcing a splashy new nature strategy billed as a roadmap for halting biodiversity loss, the Carney government quietly proposed removing the jeopardy clause from Canada's Species at Risk Act. This is what prevents major projects from pushing endangered species toward extinction. Sound familiar?

The proposal is most likely targeting critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales, standing in the way of pipelines and port expansions in BC. But this power could apply to any species in Canada.

Even Stephen Harper didn't go this far, and three former Liberal environment ministers have criticized the proposal.

Raincoast Conservation Foundation has made it easy to take action: https://www.raincoast.org/2026/05/canadas-species-at-risk-act-106146/

No project should have the power to commit a species to extinction.

Photos by Cristina "Mitty" Mittermeier

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