The island of Mayotte, situated in the Indian Ocean, has the second largest lagoon on the planet (1556 km²).

Its extraordinary statistics are: a depth of up to 70 meters, an enclosing reef of 190km, more than 7km² of mangrove, over 200 species of coral, 22 species of marine mammals, nearly 8km² of marine grasses vital for the green turtle, which reproduces here throughout the year. With more than 700 species of fish, a total of 2,300 marine species live in the lagoon: 25% of the world’s biodiversity.

The economic development of the past 30 years together with an increasing population have put severe strains on the lagoon’s marine life.

The preservation of the lagoon starts at the top of the mountains of Mayotte. Consequently, we have to care for terrestrial and marine ecosystems that are strongly linked together, solve problems such as mud or waste water running down into the lagoon.



















The tone of this documentary is a positive one, looking towards the future. In terms of preserving the environment, the future is far more important than the past.

We show how aspects of traditional and modern life have to be reconsidered in order to value nature’s gift of the lagoon. We took the time to interview fishermen, farmers, tour operators, artists and environmental groups: people of Mayotte who are actively doing their best to protect the lagoon. There is also a special emphasis on young people, the future generation of ‘carers’.


This project has received the ‘Biodiversity Year’ eco-label, awarded by the French Ministry of Ecology.

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