BLANCPAIN OCEAN COMMITMENT PANEL DISCUSSION

In September 2023, as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the iconic Fifty Fathoms – the first true diver's watch – Blancpain's President and CEO Marc A. Hayek hosted a Blancpain Ocean Commitment panel discussion on the importance of ocean preservation and Blancpain's long-standing initiatives.

Moderated by The Grey NATO and Swimpruf's Journalist and Podcaster Jason Heaton, this panel featured several of our partners, who highlighted the urgent need for tangible action: PADI's President & CEO Drew Richardson, Gombessa Expeditions' Founder & Leader Laurent Ballesta, Oceana's CEO Andrew Sharpless, and The Economist's World Initiative's Executive Director Charles Goddard.

Watch the full Cannes 2023 panel discussion and discover below our latest achievements.

A Notable Victory for Oceana & Blancpain in Mexico

On 8 January 2024, the Mexican government finalised the creation of the Bajos del Norte National Park. Two scientific expeditions conducted in 2021 and 2022, with the support of Blancpain, were instrumental to both establishing the need for a Marine Protected Area (MPA) and convincing the government to take action. Covering an impressive 1.3 million hectares, this newly designated MPA is now the largest in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2024, Blancpain renewed its commitment to Oceana who successfully completed the first of three scientific expeditions in California's Channel Islands, furthering efforts to protect ocean biodiversity.

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PADI and Blancpain extend their partnership

The Adopt the Blue programme aims to significantly increase the number of Marine Protected Areas worldwide. With over 2,200 dive sites already adopted globally, this initiative is creating the largest network of underwater sites that can be activated for marine conservation efforts. Building on the remarkable response of the diving community, Blancpain is extending its support to PADI to launch the Global Shark & Ray Census – the largest underwater citizen science programme designed to protect sharks and rays from extinction.

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Diving below 100 metres with UNSEEN Expeditions

Supported by Blancpain, UNSEEN Expeditions recently completed The Deep Reefs of the Far East Expedition in the Maluku Archipelago, Indonesia. Collaborating with local universities and research institutions, UNSEEN Expeditions brought together scientists, expert divers, and local specialists to explore this area for the very first time at such depths, documenting species unknown to science, and pinpointing potential habitats of the enigmatic dinosaur fish known as, the coelacanth.

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Latest news

Explore all latest news

A Notable Victory for Oceana & Blancpain in Mexico

PADI and Blancpain extend their partnership

Diving below 100 metres with UNSEEN Expeditions

Latest news

Blancpain teams up with Vellmarí and Manu San Félix to protect the Mediterranean Sea

Oceana Partnership Renewal and Channel Islands Expedition

Blancpain and The Economist launch a new programme called "Beyond the Surface"