Our Sea Forest

Collaborating with passion-driven filmmakers, Sussex Film Office joined hands with Big Wave Productions to bring this powerful tale of environmental transformation to life.

Narrated by Chris Packham, Our Sea Forest tells the moving story of how a once thriving underwater forest, home to a multitude of different sea creatures was lost, and its slow road to recovery. Told through the eyes of Eric Smith, a 74-year-old free diver, who’s been diving in Sussex since he was 11 years old, it tells of how a once thriving ecosystem was destroyed by trawling. But this is also a powerful story of hope. In 2021 a landmark ruling, initiated by the Sussex Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authority (IFCA) protected over 300 sq. kilometres of seabed. Filmed over three years, Our Sea Forest includes remarkable scenes as Eric dives with giant 40-pound sting rays, witness’s mussel beds return, and rare sea bream breeding on the seabed again.

We facilitated filming on Shoreham beach, Goring-by-Sea beach, and Bognor Regis beach.

You can catch up on the show on BBC One iPlayer – so check it out!