A POPULAR explorer and presenter will be bringing the sea to Basingstoke later this year with his brand-new tour.

Steve Backshall will be heading to The Anvil in Basingstoke on April, 9 in his stage show called the Ocean.

The jam-packed show is a love letter to the most exciting environment on our planet, the sea, and a great way to learn more about what we need to do to save our seas.

SEE MORE: Scientists to bring the fun to town with 'amazing' experiments

Stunts, experiments, props, cutting-edge science and big-screen footage from his two decades in TV, will all help Steve to bring the icons of the big blue to life. From Great whites to Great whales; seals to sardine shoals; Orca to the oddities of the deep: this is a fantastic opportunity for all the family to dive deep into the wonderful world beneath the waves.

Steve said: “It’s all about our seas and the animals that live there so I have a big challenge in trying to bring to life on stage creatures that live in the ocean, which is obviously pretty tricky.

“In order to do that we have life-size replicas of the biggest creatures that have ever lived on our planet, live science experiments, which could go very wrong and make me look very silly in public, stunts and lots of different things which will bring the sea to life."

Steve said he wants the show to be both “entertaining” and “educational” that will suit all age groups.

He added: “My favourite part is the on-stage experiments because there is a high possibility of them going wrong and these are not scripted and not made up and people respond well to this.”

READ MORE: 'We don’t know if we will': Council not certain they can meet 2025 climate emergency targets

Reflecting on his career Steve said his highlight is every moment where an animal has interacted with him.

He added: “I would say that probably diving with sperm whales in the Caribbean.

“I remember just having them dancing with me, twisting when I twisted and diving bellow the surface when I did.

“They stayed with me for several hours just interacting with me and it was something incredible that I will never ever forget.”

Tickets for his show are on sale now.

For more information visit: www.anvilarts.org.uk/whats-on/event/steve-backshall-ocean.

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this story. We really appreciate your support.

Please help us to continue bringing you all the trusted news from your area by sharing this story or by following our Facebook page.