"Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on"
- Titanic theme song
Whenever we see James Cameron's name we hear the haunting sounds of Celine Dion singing those words as Jack slipped off into the ice after saving his beloved Rose in the movie.
South African ocean researcher Zoleka Filander's a lot more fortunate than those two because she isn't on the Titanic in 1912...
She's one of the four explorers on the OceanXplorer ship in 2024, in an adventure executively produced by Titanic director Cameron.
It's a six-part documentary series that follows the foursome on the ship as they seek answers and new knowledge from the far reaches of the earth and the deep depths of the ocean.
The trailer's been released to coincide with World Oceans Day on 8 June and it premieres on 19 August on Disney+ (all episodes), and on 21 August at 19h00 on National Geographic with weekly eps.
We've spoken about Zoleka previously... when she
won National Geographic's Wayfinder Award in 2022.
See her in the trailer, then find out more about her in her bio with the series synopsis beneath:
From her
National Geographic profile:
Zoleka is a South African deep-sea researcher who aspires to change human perceptions and help people reconnect with the ocean environment.
She is employed by the national ministry of Fisheries, Forestry and Environment and also currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy at Nelson Mandela University.
Her primary scientific training focuses on the classification and identification (taxonomy) of invertebrates that inhabit the seabed.
With most of the world’s seabed yet to be explored, this work largely involves documenting the species in various regions to establish a baseline, as well as reporting on new species.
She has extensive experience in leading expeditions and has spent many months at sea discovering more about South Africa’s uncharted oceans.
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On OceanXplorers she's joined by shark biologist Melissa Cristina Márquez, ocean technology innovator Eric Stackpole and ex-Royal Marine, special ops guy
Aldo Kane.
OceanXplorers synopsis:
The series takes audiences aboard the OceanXplorer, OceanX's state-of-the-art scientific research and exploration vessel, to investigate the farthest frontiers of the world's oceans, 80% of which are entirely unknown.
Armed with advanced technology, a hand-picked team of intrepid explorers and scientists embark on a global odyssey to solve some of the ocean's greatest mysteries through the lives of its animals and their ecosystems.
The ship sets sail on a grand adventure - traveling to the depths of the Atlantic in the Azores, diving into the shallows of the Bahamas and warm waters of the Caribbean before embarking north to the frigid arctic shores of Svalbard, Norway.
The ship:
It was purpose-built by the global science, media and exploration nonprofit OceanX and is described as a technological marvel with the power to explore the depths of the world's oceans.
The ship is equipped with two submersibles - Neptune and Nadir - which can dive to 1,000 meters, or 3,280 feet, for up to 72 hours.
There is a helicopter aboard alongside multiple marine science laboratories, as well as a media studio that captures new science and real-time discoveries for the screen.
The OceanXplorer is a full-scale research vessel that can span the earth's oceans and shed light on the most inaccessible depths of the sea.