Expedition: Saving Our Seas Premieres November 16
National Geographic's one-hour special showcases its multiyear Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions across all five ocean basins.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Environmental
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National Geographic has unveiled the trailer and premiere date for Expedition: Saving Our Seas, a one-hour special that premieres Monday, 16 November 2026 at 18:50 across Africa. The program showcases the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions, a multiyear research and storytelling project covering all five ocean basins.
Why it matters
The special draws attention to ocean areas that remain largely unexplored and to coastal communities whose livelihoods depend on the sea. It presents deep-sea research as a combination of advanced technology and local knowledge.
Expedition teams have explored only 0.001% of the deep ocean, meaning 99.999% remains unexplored. Remotely operated vehicle SuBastian reached 13,000 feet, while krill swarms were recorded at 3,000 feet.
The players
National Geographic
National Geographic is a global nonprofit media organization known for its science, exploration and documentary programming.
Rolex Perpetual Planet
Rolex Perpetual Planet is the philanthropic initiative of watchmaker Rolex that supports ocean and environmental exploration projects.
Dr. Katy Croff Bell
Dr. Katy Croff Bell is an ocean engineer and explorer who is developing the Deep Ocean Research and Imaging System (DORIS).
The details
The special documents the team's discoveries, including the most southerly deep-sea hydrothermal vent known on the planet and the first-known live sighting of a giant Antarctic gonate squid, both made in the Southern Ocean. Explorers also train local students in the Gambia to measure ocean depth and currents, and the Seychelles team will deploy deep-ocean camera landers to gather data for fisheries and marine protected area management.
Timeline
Monday, 16 November 2026 at 18:50: Expedition: Saving Our Seas premieres on National Geographic across Africa.
November 2026: National Geographic magazine publishes its single-topic November issue on the ocean.
Seasonal Patterns
The Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions cover all five ocean basins, extending the program's record of documenting deep-sea environments beyond earlier single-region studies. The Arctic work centers on the Sherman Basin, the subject of the first-known scientific study of that marine bay.
Viewers can watch the special on National Geographic across Africa on Monday, 16 November 2026 at 18:50, and in South Africa it will also stream on Disney+. The findings may inform future fisheries management and marine protected area planning in places such as the Seychelles.
The takeaway
Only a tiny fraction of the deep ocean has been explored, which makes expanding access to ocean research a practical priority. Tools such as DORIS aim to bring deep-sea exploration to communities that have not previously had access to their own deep-ocean waters.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by Marketing Spread.
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