Nature storyteller, photographer to focus on his (mis)adventures

Andy Mann to share his journey, summits to seas

IN THE FIELD—At right, Andy Mann is on the job with his camera. Courtesy photo

IN THE FIELD—At right, Andy Mann is on the job with his camera. Courtesy photo

Award-winning filmmaker and photographer Andy Mann will share stories, film and photos at 8 p.m. Fri., Feb. 28 at the Fred Kavli Theatre, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

Mann’s journey from rock climber to ocean storyteller involves detours and misadventures, proving that field science can be as thrilling as the climbing adventures of his past.

He has dived alongside crocodiles, sperm whales and sharks, and survived near misses with icebergs, all in pursuit of his goal of shedding light on Earth’s ocean environments and advocate for their protection.

In 2013, his work alongside Pristine Seas was awarded the Crystal Compass Award from the Royal Geographic Society for the storytelling that led to the designation of the world’s largest Arctic National Park in Franz Josef Land, Russia.

In 2015, Mann directed the first Oceano Azul Foundation expedition to Azores, leading to the declaration of 150,000-square kilometers of new marine protected areas in the Azorean Sea.

In 2017, he co-directed the award-winning National Geographic/ Sea Legacy expedition to Antarctica, presenting the final work at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Buenos Aires, Chile.

Known for his shark work in the Bahamas, Mann has worked since 2014 across the country tagging pregnant oceanic whitetip sharks in hopes of finding and protecting their pupping grounds.

Mann is the co-founder and director at 3 Strings Productions, the commercial and documentary film studio in Boulder, Colo.

He also is a founding member of the Sea Legacy Collective with Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier.

Tickets are $36 and $46 with group discounts available from Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com, or through the theater box office.

For more information, call (805) 449-ARTS (2787) or visit bapacthousandoaks.com.