Andy Mann

SeaLegacy  Board   |   Storytellers   |  

Co-Founder and Lead Storyteller

“The ocean is a part of all of us, weaving us together through our hearts, minds, and the very air we breathe. It gives us oxygen, provides food, and moves our spirits in a way that calls us back to the shore.”


andy_mann Andy Mann

Andy Mann is an Emmy-nominated Director, 12 time Telly-Award Winner, National Geographic Photographer & marine conservationist whose imagery is helping tell the story of our rapidly changing planet. 

Andy’s career as a photographer and film director has humble roots: a decade documenting the world’s best climbers in most remote mountain ranges of the world’. His love for adventure and storytelling led him to National Geographic Magazine and into his true passion of protecting the oceans. In 2013 his work alongside National Geographic Pristine Seas was awarded the Crystal Compass Award from the Royal Geographic Society for the storytelling that led to the designation of the world largest Arctic National Park in Franz Josef Land, Russia. In 2015, Andy 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 2016, Andy helped to launch the non-profit, SeaLegacy, with Paul Nicklen and Cristina Mittermeier. In 2017 he co-directed the award-winning National Geographic / SeaLegacy expedition to Antarctica, presenting the final work at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Buenos Aires, Chile. His work in the eastern tropical pacific ocean between 2018-2021 helped to create the world’s very first international marine protected area, resulting in official presidential invitations from Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Colombia during their signing ceremonies. In 2022, Andy became a co-founder of SeaLegacy. where he leads the organization’s impact media team, creating storytelling assets to campaign and lobby for marine protections around the world. 

Andy is also a public speaker and songwriter, touring nationwide with National Geographic Live and continues to work with students and classrooms around the world to inspire the next generation of ocean ambassadors. 

Having worked on all 7 continents, Andy’s imagery is remarkably memorable, reminding us how the emotion of an image can touch our spirit.

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