WILD GABON

Mike Fay and Enric Sala are on a quest to protect the rich coastal waters of Gabon. Full of hippos, sharks, and humpback whales, these waters are some of the last healthy oceans in West Africa. Twelve years ago, the country of Gabon became a conservation pioneer in Africa when its president, Omar Bongo Ondimba, created 13 National Parks protecting 11% of the country.  Mike Fay was instrumental as an advisor, and now he has returned to save Gabon’s oceans and coastal wetlands. He and Enric put together an ambitious expedition to determine how healthy the waters off the shores still are. The expedition covers Gabon’s 885-kilometer coastline, where they dive around oil platforms and use deep-water camera systems to document rare species. Their goal: to convince the current Gabonese President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, to extend and create new marine protected areas.