The WWF / Freund Factory Expedition is an 18 month photojournalistic expedition into the heart of the Coral Triangle, investigating the connectivity between the wildlife and peoples of the region, and the threats they face.
The Coral Triangle
The Coral Triangle is the world’s centre of marine life – a vast, majestic and colourful coral nursery covering 6 million km2 of ocean – a home sheltering and sustaining thousands of whales, dolphins, tuna, reef fish, rays, sharks and turtles.
Its underwater riches are equally matched by the diversity of its people, cultures and traditions – all of whom rely on the sea in one way or another for their survival. Livelihoods, wildlife and survival are interdependent across the region and beyond.
All this beauty and richness will be captured by Jürgen (‘Yogi’) and Stella Freund, one of the top photographic teams in the world. Along the way, they will learn about and document WWF’s field work through stories and pictures, and investigate the ‘connectivity’ between the people and wildlife of the Coral Triangle.
Area the expedition will cover
View Coral Triangle expedition in a larger map.
The authors
Stella Chiu-Freund
Born and raised in the Philippines, Stella Chiu-Freund studied anthropology but ended up in media advertising. She later ventured into freelancing and produced video documentaries for a publishing house, government agencies, NGOs and the academe.
Stella moved on to producing books and had a stint at working with foreign production companies visiting Manila. Now based in Cairns, Stella produces photo stories with husband Jürgen Freund.
Jürgen Freund
German born Jürgen Freund is a full-time international freelance nature photographer specializing in the marine environment. He has travelled extensively and taken many acclaimed pictures which have been published in numerous international magazines.
Lured by the challenge of marine wildlife photography, he acquired an underwater camera even before learning how to scuba dive. Currently based in Far North Queensland with his wife Stella, Jürgen works closely with WWF, providing photographs for many of its conservation campaigns.
- Learn more about Jürgen’s work
Alya B. Honasan, guest blogger
Alya B. Honasan is a freelance editor and writer who will join the Freunds on selected legs of the Expedition to publish stories about the people, places, issues, and experiences in the Coral Triangle.
She has been an editor for newspapers and magazines, worked on a number of award-winning books in the Philippines, and helped produce several case studies with WWF Philippines and edited the Freunds’ first book, “Sulu-Sulawesi Seas” (2001). Alya has been diving since 1989, and is mother to a 5-year-old Labrador named Banana.
Jürgen and Stella Freund are not only husband and wife, but also one of the top underwater photographic teams.