Wind down by escaping into nature. Part soundscape and part bedtime story, The Sleeping World is an intimate journey through ecologies around the world.

At the southernmost tip of South Africa, where fresh and salt water collide, a tiny seahorse appears to levitate. Seahorses are the ocean’s slowest swimmers, but they have one of the world’s fastest muscle contractions, using it to suction up their prey. In this episode, we meander through eelgrass with a male Knysna seahorse as he twines tails with his partner, changes color to match the sand, and even gives birth to a brood of tiny seahorses.

This is the world in its natural state, defined by seasons, routines, and cycles. By the time this seahorse is ready to drift off, swaying gently with the current, you’ll be ready to drift off too.

Produced by Audible and Mumble Media

Written by Sarah Craig

Narrated by Cynthia Kimola

Executive Producers for Mumble Media: Cara Ehlenfeldt and Jake Young

Executive Producer for Audible: Anna Stitt

Sound Design and Mix: Mumble Media

The Mumble Media team is Jaymeson Catsouphes, Cara Ehlenfeldt, Liz Mak, Lee Mengistu, David Tatasciore, Renée Vargas, Jake Young, and Sharif Youssef

Fact-Checker: Andrea López-Cruzado

Head of Creative Development: Kate Navin

Head of Audible Originals, North America: Marshall Lewy

Chief Content Officer: Rachel Ghiazza