2 days ago
When Every Day Is World Ocean Day: The Call To Underwater Exploration
Award-winning underwater photographer, writer, ocean conservationist and diver Pier Nirandara.
It isn't often that you meet someone as accomplished as Pier Nirandara, who got a jump-start at a very young age. She began her career as Thailand's youngest English-language author, publishing her first national bestselling young adult novel at age 15. Then, she followed up with two more.
Now a gifted underwater photographer, award-winning writer, conservationist and modern-day explorer, Nirandara recently photographed aquanaut Fabien Cousteau for his groundbreaking underwater research station in Curaçao, and joined the legendary Dr. Sylvia Earle and other world ocean advocates for a talk at The Explorers Club. Nirandara is also a PADI AmbassaDiver™ and founder of Immersiv Expeditions, where she leads expeditions around the globe for those who wish to take a deep dive and swim with marine wildlife.
Based in Bangkok, Capetown and LA, Nirandara's adventurous spirit has taken her diving with sharks and whales in the South Pacific and South Africa, tracking pink dolphins in the Amazon and documenting the ancient practice of shark calling in Papua New Guinea.
When the two of us met, we were about as far from the ocean as you can get–at an altitude of 12,000 feet, in Lhasa, Tibet. We spent the day touring the capital city, sampling momos (traditional Tibetan dumplings), shopping for Tibetan textiles and talking about some of the most pressing issues facing the oceans today. 'Climate change, coral bleaching, industrial fishing — these crises are intensifying and intersecting at an alarming pace,' says Nirandara.
'But underlying them all is a deeper issue: disconnection. Without a sense of relationship, there's no sense of responsibility. If we don't feel kinship with the ocean, we won't fight for it,' she continues. 'That's why storytelling — especially from voices and communities historically excluded from the conservation narrative — matters more than ever.'
Photographing a swirling school.
I was incredibly lucky to grow up in Thailand, a country surrounded by a vast coastline, and one that gave me a profound respect for the sea. I recall years ago waiting restlessly on the shore, much too young to join in on the activity and waiting impatiently as my mother went on a PADI Discover Scuba Dive. She emerged from the water, breathless with wonder. 'That was the most incredible experience of my life,' she exclaimed. To this day, I don't think I've ever felt that level of envy in my life! From that moment, I vowed to get underwater.
Despite diving during my entire childhood in Thailand, it was a trip to South Africa that changed everything. Far from the centers of Cape Town and Johannesburg, I traveled to the Wild Coast, an area where few venture, to dive for a phenomenon known as the annual sardine run. Nicknamed the Blue Serengeti, it's the largest migration on earth in terms of biomass. Think sharks, whales, dolphins and birds plowing through bait balls of fish, hunting them in frenzied feeding. The experience blew open my mind. In storytelling, we'd dub this 'the call to adventure.'
I flew back to Los Angeles, quit my job as a Hollywood film executive, and pursued a life of underwater storytelling full-time.
At home in the ocean
I'm a storyteller at heart. My work explores the intersection of travel, adventure, culture and conservation, often through immersive experiences that invite awe as a catalyst for change.
With this ethos in mind, I founded Immersiv Expeditions, an adventure company built on the idea that meaningful travel can transform us. We lead small-group journeys around the world to swim with marine wildlife, often in remote, off-the-map locations where nature feels raw and unfiltered. These are not just wildlife encounters—they're invitations to reconnect with the world, and with ourselves.
Diving with orcas.
From swimming with whales in the open ocean to tracing ancestral stories along remote coastlines, every journey is designed to spark curiosity, deepen connection, and leave guests changed. We also work closely with local operators and captains who know their waters best, grounding each expedition in place, partnership, and purpose.
Our ethos is simple: Seek adventure. Embrace discomfort. Explore the unknown.
These aren't just bucket list trips — they're opportunities to break out of the routines and habits of daily life to reconnect with something larger than ourselves. A return to place, to self, and to a deeper sense of awe, wonder, and responsibility.
A lone marlin
Each expedition offers its own kind of magic. The sardine run in South Africa is perhaps the most cinematic — dolphins herding fish, sharks plowing through bait balls, birds raining from the sky. In French Polynesia, we swim with humpback whales as they arrive to give birth and nurse their young in the warm waters of the South Pacific. Imagine playing alongside milk-drunk baby whales! Meanwhile, every spring in Baja, Mexico, mobula rays gather by the thousands, swirling in a hypnotic vortex. Every expedition is unique, and a reminder that the ocean still holds mystery — and immense beauty worth saving.
I've also been fortunate enough to join legendary aquatic pioneers like Dr. Sylvia Earle and Fabien Cousteau on initiatives that blend exploration with advocacy. These moments remind me that there's a fierce, brilliant, and deeply committed community fighting for the sea. It inspires me to keep showing up — and to keep lending my pen and lens to a good cause.
Melting ice.
Because the ocean is the life force of the planet. It regulates our climate, feeds millions, and gives us every second breath we take. Yet for many, it remains distant — something to visit, not something we're a part of.
World Oceans Day is an invitation to remember that we are ocean people, whether or not we live by the shore. It's a chance to reconnect with what sustains us, to re-imagine our relationship with water, and to recommit. It's a reminder that protecting the ocean isn't just about saving the sea, but also about saving ourselves.
Ghost gear — abandoned fishing lines and nets — quietly ensnaring marine life. Sonar disrupting whale navigation. Coral trampled by unregulated tourism. Even well-meaning travelers can do harm if they don't know better. The damage isn't always visible, but it's real — and often borne by the most marginalized communities. Privilege and accessibility are real issues within the marine space — who has admission to these spaces, and who bears the burden of climate change and rising sea levels.
Support Indigenous and local stewardship. Expand and enforce marine protected areas. Reform extractive fishing policies. And on a human level — get people in the water. When someone submerges beneath the surface, watches a pod of dolphins leaping beside the boat, or — if they're lucky enough — meets a whale eye-to-eye, something in them changes. It's why at Immersiv, we're so passionate about getting people up close and personal with the wonders of the ocean. Awe transforms.
Mother and calf.
The best properties partner with local communities and embed conservation into their core model. Others greenwash with bamboo straws while building over nesting beaches. Real impact requires transparency, not trends — and a commitment to give more than they take.
Pier Nirandara, ascending
We also need to decrease the barrier to entry to the water — from systemic to socioeconomic inequalities. Access to the ocean is a privilege not always afforded to all, and if we're to truly make a difference, we need a all hands on deck approach. People have to feel a personal bond with the ocean in order to care about its plight. Conservation cannot be inclusive if access isn't.
To tell stories that make people feel, and through that feeling, move them to act. I want to bridge the gap between science and storytelling, amplify underrepresented voices, and decolonize conservation narratives. This work isn't only about saving the ocean. It's about remembering that we're not separate from it — we're part of it. And in protecting it, we protect something essential in ourselves.
