National Geographic is taking viewers beneath the ocean’s surface with Expedition: Saving Our Seas, a new documentary following scientists and explorers as they investigate marine ecosystems across all five ocean basins.
The one-hour special premieres on Monday, 16 November 2026, at 18:50 on National Geographic (DStv 181 and StarTimes 220) across Africa. South African viewers will also be able to stream it on Disney+.
Narrated by ocean conservationist Auliʻi Cravalho, best known for voicing Moana in Disney’s Moana, the documentary follows the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions, a multi-year scientific research initiative examining the effects of environmental change on the world’s oceans.
The expeditions take viewers from the Southern Ocean to the Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, using advanced technology and local knowledge to investigate marine life and identify solutions to conservation challenges.
Among the discoveries featured are the most southerly deep-sea hydrothermal vent known on Earth, Antarctic krill carrying eggs at depths of around 3,000 feet (914 metres), and the first known live sighting of a giant Antarctic gonate squid.
The documentary also explores efforts to protect blue whales and coral reefs in the Pacific, map threatened mangrove forests in The Gambia and study previously unexplored seabeds in Canada’s Arctic region.
South Africa also features in the expedition, with Seychelles-based deep-sea scientist Sheena Talma and her team training on underwater camera systems off the country’s coast. The technology will help researchers collect data to support fisheries management and marine conservation in the Seychelles.
Another key focus is the development of the Deep Ocean Research and Imaging System (DORIS), a low-cost device designed to make deep-sea exploration more accessible to researchers and coastal communities.
According to deep-ocean scientist Dr Katy Croff Bell, founder of the Ocean Discovery League, humans have explored only around 0.001% of the deep ocean, leaving much of the underwater world undiscovered.
Presented by the National Geographic Society in partnership with Rolex and produced by Offspring Films, Expedition: Saving Our Seas highlights the importance of ocean research at a time when rising temperatures and environmental changes are placing marine ecosystems under increasing pressure.
South African viewers can watch Expedition: Saving Our Seas on National Geographic on 16 November at 18:50 or stream it on Disney+.
Main Image: Nat Geo
