Photo courtesy of the Gray’s Reef website.
Written by Emilie Kefalas
Below the blue horizon called the ocean exists a world we can never join but will always study in fascination. The seas shelter a labyrinth of extraterrestrials, creatures we don’t come in contact with nearly as often as squirrels or pigeons. It’s a shame we can only see these unusual water dwellers through aquariums, documentaries, and maybe that rare opportunity to dive and swim like alien kin among these beings and beasts of the great blue world.
During this past weekend, Savannah was briefly immersed in this paradise, first at the Trustees Theater on Friday Jan. 29 then at the Lucas on Saturday Jan. 30 when both venues played host to the Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival. Friday night offered a truly riveting look at ocean exploration with a lineup of films all screened in 3D, including “Secret Ocean 3D,” and “Humpback Whales 3D.” Following the latter, humpback whale rescuer Ed Lyman discussed his process and purpose in his dangerous occupation seen in “Humpback Whales 3D.”
Saturday night exchanged the 3D glasses for a showing of “Secret Life of Predators,” a National Geographic film offering the audience to get up close and personal with some of marine life’s most interesting hunters. After the screening, two Emmy-winning cinematographers, Paul and Grace Atkins, spoke about their careers in wildlife film and how they capture incredible shots of nature’s fiercest moments from volcanoes bubbling beneath the ocean’s surface to killer whales attacking seal pups on the beach.
Gray’s Reef Superintendent Sarah Fangman welcomed the crowd before both Friday and Saturday’s screenings and also shared the mission and marvel found at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary.
“In my view, Gray’s Reef is one of Georgia’s best kept secrets, and after this weekend, we’re hoping all of you are going to help us change that,”said Fangman.
Designated as a sanctuary on Jan.16, 1981, Gray’s Reef is just one of fourteen places designated as a National Marine Sanctuary, according to Fangman. As stated on the Gray’s Reef website, the area is the only protected natural reef area on the continental shelf off the Georgia coast.
“It’s a place of incredible diversity, and it is a place we want to bring to you through film,” said Fangman.
Within National Marine Sanctuaries, Fangman discovers vibrant tapestries of marine life. Together, Fangman and her colleagues work to protect these places while also enabling people to enjoy them in a sustainable way.
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary is advertised as Georgia’s “amazing underwater park,” located sixteen miles off the coast of Georgia. The reef is best known for its teeming marine life. Its 22-square-mile sanctuary and considered a haven for experienced fishermen and scuba divers. According to Fangman, Georgia has the least-developed coastline on the Eastern seaboard. The least known feature of Georgia’s incredible coastline is the offshore reefs, Fangman said.
Gray’s Reef is a designated National Marine Sanctuary because it contains cultural features the community must protect, Fangman said.
Although Gray’s Reef is a special slice of the natural world, the reef is not too special for guests not to experience it.
“Our goal in bringing these films to you is to educate you, to, I hope, entertain you, but also inspire you,” Fangman said. “We hope when you leave this theatre, you will feel a sense of pride that we have one of our nation’s most special places right here in our own backyard. We depend upon our oceans for the very air we’re breathing right now… every other breath we take is a gift from the sea.”
Fangman urged audience members to share the wonders of Gray’s Reef with their family and friends to ensure further interest and future preservation.
“You all know that what we do on land can impact what’s happening offshore, and the fact that much of our coastline has been protected also benefits Gray’s Reef,” Fangman said. “We need more people to know about this special place so we can continue to have it in our backyard.”
For more information on Gray’s Reef, visit their website.
