Hannah Mermaid and the Humpbacks

Shawn Heinrichs

For the most recent BlueSphere Foundation-funded endeavor, members of the Foundation traveled to the Kingdom of Tonga in September 2013 with Emmy award-winning cinematographer Shawn Heinrichs to shoot Betrayal, a cinematic documentary short developed to raise awareness of the plight of the humpback whale. The documentary shows the grace and might of the humpback species through interactions between underwater model Hannah Fraser, and a mother humpback and her calf. The film premiered live at New York City's CORE: Club, as part of a BlueSphere Foundation event, in November 2013.

For decades, the humpback species has been a target for the whaling industry. Due to extensive hunting between the years of 1904 and 1983, approximately 200,000 humpbacks were killed. Before a moratorium was introduced in 1966, the population fell by an estimated 90% and was nearly hunted to extinction. As of 2013, the population has increased to approximately 60,000 humpbacks worldwide, mainly due to the end of commercial whaling, but humpbacks are still hunted in small numbers by aboriginal commercial fisheries, and many die from entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, oil spills, and noise pollution. Countries are also now lobbying to remove the humpback whale from the endangered species list when it is most in need of continued protection.

The BlueSphere Foundation has previously supported other works from Heinrichs. The foundation will continue to support projects from various artists that use art, film, and photography to raise awareness and bear witness to the plight of marine life and threatened species globally, in order to ensure support for their continued protection.

About BlueSphere Foundation

BlueSphere Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to the support and production of artistic projects that raise awareness, foster education, and inspire action to address pressing conservation issues in the global marine environment.

BlueSphere Foundation believes art is an essential tool in halting the destruction of threatened marine species and habitats, and we will support artists to create projects that connect people to globally important issues and inspire action.

To make a donation in support of BlueSphere, please visit www.bluespherefoundation.org and click "donate." For more information, please contact Brooke Berry, Executive Director of the BlueSphere Foundation at (312) 613-0686 or brooke@bluespherefoundation.org.

About Blue Sphere Media

Blue Sphere Media is inspired by the oceans’ natural wonders. The oceans dominate the majority of the earth’s surface, yet we still know so little about them. A relatively small percentage of the population has had the opportunity to explore and appreciate this hidden world. As a result, most people are ignorant of the thriving and fragile ecosystems that exist below the surface. This ignorance has enabled wide-spread exploitation and destruction of the ocean habitats to continue unchecked. Blue Sphere Media’s mission is to bring a voice to creatures of the ocean, to educate people on the beauty of this secret world and to take a stand in protecting the largest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet.

Here's a clip from Blue Sphere Media's Vimeo site where you can view more of Shawn's stunning footage (Betrayed features Terra Naomi's song "I'll Be Waiting," from her album "Live & Unplugged."):

Betrayal from Blue Sphere Media on Vimeo.