in 2014 our team, in collaboration with the iucn’s marine and polar program headed off to vamizi island mozambique to place acoustic and sat tags on grey reef sharks. We were working in the water with mattias klum and his film crew, tessa hempson (now dr. tessa hempson) and a local dive operator. The conditions were difficult with strong currents which were both predictable and unpredictable. The team had the wonderful luck to dive with humpback whales, large schools of fish, huge grouper and dogtooth tuna along with the grey reef sharks.

an award winning documentary came out of this expedition – vamizi cradle of coral – within which dr. david obura – a renowned coral reef specialist – states that the vamizi reefs are very likely the cradle of coral for the entire region or what one could call a “mother reef”. the area of vamizi was declared a hope spot by mission blue due to it being scientifically identified in its importance to the health of the oceans.