Book & Film Club

DR. GUY STEVENS

Manta Trust CEO & Co-Founder

Book: ‘My Family and Other Animals’ by Gerald Durrell
“I felt a like-minded connection with Gerry the child. I wanted to explore the natural world and study all its amazing wildlife. The ITV series about the books is also lovely.”

Film: ‘The Big Blue’ by Luc Besson
“This film made me want to explore the oceans and become a freediver and scuba diver.”

LILIAN DINAN-JACKSON

Manta Trust Fundraising Manager

Book: ‘Diary of a Young Naturalist’ by Dara McAnulty
“A brilliant book by a very gifted young man.”

Book: ‘Umijoo: The Wondrous Tale of a Curious Girl and Her Journey Under the Sea’ written by Casson Trenor, Illustrated by Caia Koopman 

"Umijoo is truly wondrous book written by environmentalist Casson Trenor, featuring beautiful illustrations, all about a girl who makes a magical journey under the sea. It has won multiple awards, including the Nautilus Gold Medal, and the Readers Favourite Best Illustrator Award." 

ELEANOR GLOSTER

Manta Trust Finance Manager

Book: 'The Snail and the Whale' by Julia Donaldson“I love the rhymes and the sweet message in this children's book.  I must have read it hundreds of times to my children and I never get tired of the story or illustrations!”

 TV Series: ‘BBC Blue Planet’

“Blue Planet gave me and my family an amazing window into the secret, unexplored marine world, and made a massive impression on us.  Seeing all the rare and incredible sealife fuelled my own desire to explore under the waves around the world.”

BEX CARTER

Manta Trust Director of Operations

Film: ‘Sharkwater’
”I saw this whilst at university studying fashion design and it was one of the things that inspired me to completely change path after graduating and pursue a career in marine conservation.”

FLOSSY BARRAUD

Manta Trust Education Manager

Book: ‘Ingo’ by Helen Dunmore
“This series of novels sparked my interest in the ocean as a young teenager. It follows the stories of two children in Cornwall exploring a tantalizing merworld just beyond their cove and their adventures under the sea.”

Film: ‘Chasing Coral’

“This emotive film perfectly engages the audience with the importance of coral reefs and the threat of ever-increasing coral bleaching events, whilst telling a story about a charismatic and passionate film crew. It is an incredibly educational film suited to audiences of most ages.”

Online Platform: ‘Ted-Ed: Lessons Worth Sharing’

“Ted-Ed create amazing short animations that are really educational and engaging and cover a huge variety of topics, from the oceans to climate change to space and surfing.”

YANIU MOHAMED

Maldivian Manta Ray Project - Research and Education Officer

Television show: ‘Octonauts and the Manta Rays’

“A great short TV show about underwater explorers the Octonauts helping a young manta ray to find secret feeding grounds, created for 4-6 year olds.”

BUDDHI MAHESHIKA

Marine Biologist – Blue Resources Trust

YouTube Channel: ‘The Bucket List Family’

“I’ve always loved "The Bucket List Family" since they are “average”  family working from all around the world as family travel journalists. They decided to sell everything and leave home for a journey around the world together. The little kids in the family blended with the ocean from the beginning and they started to feel nature and love it enormously which is good motivation for kids to think about the ocean and protect it.”

Film: ‘Moana’ - Directed By John Musker

“No barriers if you are born as a girl you can protect the ocean and your people. She inspired little girls who love oceans.”

LYDIA GREEN

Manta Watch New Zealand Project Leader

Book: ‘The Wasp that Brainwashed the Caterpillar’ by Matt Simon

“It goes through just how crazy and random evolution is. It’s a very easy, light-hearted read but it has some really cool facts and some oceany content too.”

NUNO VASCO RODRIGUES

Underwater Photographer

Book: ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’ by Jules Verne
“This is a classic that everyone who loves the ocean should read. It’s very interesting to see how the ocean has always driven curiosity. It’s about an expedition to find a giant sea monster that looks like a giant narwhal, but I won’t spoil the rest of the story. It’s a great book.”

Documentary: ‘The Gombessa Expeditions’ by Laurent Ballesta
“Ballesta is a French marine biologist who’s been studying some of the rarest and most elusive marine creatures and phenomena on earth. With his team he turned 4 expeditions into documentaries (the first is my favourite) that mix science, exploration and technology and are really good.”

KAITLYN ZERR

Maldives Education and Outreach Manager

Book: ‘Isabelle of the Whales’ by Hester Velmans
“I read this book when I was 8 and I was forever convinced I had to be a marine biologist. It's such an incredible story highlighting how the ocean is home and it inspired me to chase a life of adventure!”

JASMINE CORBETT

MMRP Project Manager – Laamu Atoll

Book: ‘The Aye-Aye and I’ by Gerald Durrell

“Growing up, I loved this book by Gerard Durrell, which is about his expeditions in Madagascar and his mission to save unique creatures from extinction. The stories from his travels are told with such a unique sense of humour, but he also spreads important conservation messages for the younger generation.”

Book: ‘What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? How Money Really Does Grow On Trees’ by Tony Juniper. 

“He brings light to the natural services that keep our economy going. This one is better suited for slightly older readers or young adults.”

CÉCILE BERTHE

French Polynesia Manta Ray Project

Manga: ‘Children of the Sea’ by Daisuke Igarashi

“I was already diver when I read this manga. This book is in black and white and yet I had the impression to be able to see all the colors of which the underwater world is provided. This book tells us a magical and ecological underwater story not to be missed. The film came out in 2019, by Ayumu Watanabe. Amazing!”

JESS HAINES

MMRP Project Manager – Raa Atoll

Book: ‘A Parrotfish's Tale' by Christina Mass

“I remember reading this story to my first group of primary school children when I was teaching at CCMI, the moral of this story stays with me even to this day, and I love how it teaches us that each species plays an important role under the ocean. Simple yet beautiful. “

Film: 'Happy Feet' 

“Amongst the singing and dancing feel good aspect of this movie, there's a deep message entwined, I think it was the first time as a child I truly understood what devastating impacts humans can have on nature.”