International Union for Conservation of Nature

Discovery Deep Supports Mission Blue Success on Hatteras Hope Spot

Last Week at the 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), held in Hawaii, Mission Blue succeeded in convincing the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to declare 14 different locations around the globe International Hope Spots. One spot in particular, Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, was declared a Hope Spot; Discovery Deep supported the effort.

Discovery Deep Provided Mission Blue with 360 degree videos from the Seascapes 360 Series, courtesy of our Media Director, Nic Fuller.

  • Seascapes 360°: U-352 in 360 - Filmed at the WWII war grave site of the German U-Boat U-352 near Cape Lookout.
  • Seascapes 360°: A Room with Sharks - Filmed at the wreck of the USS Aeolus; The room in the video is sometimes referred to as the "Aquarium" or the "Fish Tank" for all the fish, barracuda and sand tiger sharks that congregate there.
  • Seascapes 360°: Broken Papoose - Torpedoed in 1942 south of Hatteras by a German U-Boat.
  • Seascapes 360°: Graveyard of the Atlantic - includes multiple WWII wreck sites that are full of life, including the SS Indra, SS Papoose, and the SS Caribsea off Cape Lookout.
See more on Discovery Deep TV

The declaration of the Hatteras Seashore as an International Hope Spot marks a success for Discovery Deep in its partnership with Mission Blue. This year’s IUCN Congress was the “first-ever public forum for nominating Hope Spots” and Mission Blue’s numerous partners around the world gave them an advantage in advocating for the growth of these protected spots. (You can read the full Mission Blue article here)

Discovery Deep is excited about what the future holds in our partnership with Mission Blue. Our employment of virtual reality and 360-degree video underwater has enabled people to experience these locations as if they were diving, leading to an enhanced understanding of what makes them special.