Cornwall has always had a complex relationship with the sea – dependent on it, shaped by it, and now increasingly called to defend it. This June, Oceanographic and Finisterre are bringing its Ocean Talks panel discussion series to two of Cornwall’s most distinctively ocean-minded communities, with events that reflect the very different – but equally compelling – ways people connect with the coast.

The first night arrives in St Agnes on Wednesday 17 June, where the mood is unapologetically combative. Titled The Defiant Shore, the evening brings together surfers, swimmers, scientists, and campaigners at Wheal Kitty Workshops for an open conversation about the threats facing our coastline and the global ocean beyond it. 

St Agnes has form for this kind of gathering – the village is home to some of the most effective ocean health organisations in the country, and its community has long channelled the kind of stubborn, place-rooted conviction that conservation movements need.

Guest speakers for the St Agnes Ocean Talks night include the ocean activist and founder of Surfers Against Sewage, Chris Hines, the founder of Cornwall’s grass-roots community Rising Tide Festival, Kieran Hill, and more to be revealed on the night.

The following evening, 18 June, Oceanographic moves to Falmouth for something altogether more contemplative. Ocean in Bloom gathers underwater photographers, filmmakers, and ocean advocates to share the hidden world beneath Cornwall’s surface waters – and to explore what it means to feel genuinely connected to the sea. Set against stunning imagery from the depths, the event is as much about belonging and identity as it is about the ocean itself.

Guest speakers for the evening will include the award-winning underwater photographers, Aaron Sanders and Gina Goodman who will discuss the beauty of Cornish waters alongside the prolific underwater content creator, Gio Reale.

Both events begin at 18:30, tickets are £5 per person and must be pre-booked, and all attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Oceanographic Magazine on the night. Whether you have spent years diving Cornwall’s reefs or simply feel the pull of the tide on a winter walk, these are evenings built for you.

Click here to book your place at either Falmouth or St Agnes – or both! – now.