The Sea We Breathe is one of those WebGL projects that makes you remember why immersive web experiences matter. Built for Blue Marine Foundation, it takes you on three underwater journeys through the Maldives, Atlantic Ocean, and North Sea to explore ocean conservation topics like blue carbon habitats, marine protected areas, and sustainable fishing. The whole thing is narrated by Stephen Fry, which is a nice touch. What really sells it is how the experience opens: a meditative breathing exercise synced to rolling waves that actually helps you settle in before diving (literally) into the content.

This was created by Unseen Studio (formerly Green Chameleon), a Bristol-based agency known for pushing WebGL boundaries. Technically, the project runs on Three.js and leans heavily on baked animations combined with real-time interactive elements to keep performance tight while still looking convincingly realistic underwater. Recreating natural environments in WebGL is notoriously tricky, especially on the web where you're fighting GPU budgets constantly. They solved this through careful lighting setups and texture work, plus clever use of mouse-gesture interactions where users can actively "solve" environmental threats during each journey. For additional information, dive in to Unseen's case study for more behind-the-scenes details.