The actress and her husband, Chris Hemsworth, join an Oceana expedition to explore the depths of Malta
Elsa Pataky and her husband, Chris Hemsworth, spent a day with an ongoing expedition currently being carried out by Oceana to document previously unexplored the depths off the Maltese coast. It is the first time Oceana ambassador Elsa and her husband have visited the Oceana Ranger – the catamaran belonging to the international marine conservation organisation. Both Elsa and Chris were eager to help out with the on-board research and were particularly fascinated with the work carried out using the remote underwater robot, which can reach depths of up to 1000 metres.
“It’s amazing how little the sea bed has been studied, even in the Mediterranean sea, which is so close to civilization. Most people are unaware of the incredible marine life hundreds of metres below the surface of the water. One thing that shocked me whilst glimpsing the sea floor using the remote camera was the trash and impact of human activities in areas that should be protected. We must listen to scientists more and intensify our conservation efforts so we don’t lose such valuable biodiversity before we even know about it,” said Elsa Pataki, ambassador of Oceana since 2012.
Over the course of a busy day, Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth participated in life onboard with the team of scientists, ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operators and crew. After sending the ROV down, they observed the relatively unexplored sea bed close to the island of Gozo (Malta) first hand. Important footage was captured which will be analysed intensively over the coming months in order to evaluate the most suitable forms of protection.
The Oceana expedition got under way on 1st June and will survey the unexplored Maltese sea floor, particularly the submerged caves, sandbanks and reefs. The expedition is part of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project, co-financed by the European Commission. The research aims to uncover important geological and ecological regions to be protected as Sites of Community Importance within the Red Natura 2000 network.
Elsa Pataky & Chris Hemsworth on board: Watch the video and photos
Press Release Date 22 June 2015
Link to Oceana Press Release
