RELATED CONTENT: Robot reveals stunning underwater garden
If you catch the film Islands in the Sea, be prepared for feelings to surface.
The underwater footage of our very own Clyde River and Batemans Bay is unexpectedly moving.
The world is not short of nature films, made with enormous dedication, skill and expense.
There are so many, some of us risk developing a kind of “nature-film fatigue”, taking for granted their incredible footage and the species they show.
Not this film.
Not if you live in or love this place.
There is something deeply touching about seeing your own watery “backyard” revealed in all its shy, unexpected subtlety.
Who knew so many marine creatures and plants were quietly going about their business right under our noses?
Divers and marine scientists did, but the average punter driving across the Clyde River is ignorant of the fragile beauty beneath the surface.
Dave Rowland, Ian and Kieran Holmes have sunk a bunch of time, money and love to the bottom of the Clyde in making this film – and we should be grateful.
We would love to see what their robot cameras would find at the bottom of the Moruya River and the Wagonga Inlet.
Their investment is good for everyone, from tourism operators to children who may discover a love of marine science.
Our story about their work struck a chord on social media.
We all know how beautiful our clean waterways are and how important it is to protect the catchments that feed them.
We also know that the tourism dollar that brings jobs and prosperity is a double-edged sword.
Recent dumping of rubbish on our highways and in national parks are cases in point.
Discarded plastic, hooks and lines eventually wash into out ecosystems.
Islands in the Sea is the most gentle and poignant of reminders that we have something truly wonderful to protect.
The Robots and Reefs production is showing at the Coachhouse Marina Resort, twice daily at 3pm and 8pm until January 14.
If there is enough interest, the crew will keep showing the film until the end of the school holidays.
Let’s get behind them.
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