I'm Sophie. Teacher of diving and freediving. Solar charged and happiest near the equator, I've worked underwater in South Africa, Malaysia and the Maldives. I am overwhelmed by the state of this planet.
I'm also hopelessly in love with it.
Founded in 2020, Ocean Child was a natural evolution.
Diving takes you to cool places but the reality is ugly. The tide is made of plastic. Illegal oil dumps, bleached corals, dead turtles from boat strikes and suffocated sharks in ghost nets. Trawlers, bombs... My friends and I got rum-drunk and made a plan.
Working on a small island dive resort we created the Rimba Conservation Crew to try and leave the world a little better than how we found it.
The real impact was the Conservation Club where the dive team helped groups of kids discover our oceans through snorkel science trips, beach cleans and turtle talks. The effect was incredible and we armed hundreds of kids with the belief that they could make a difference. They led clean-ups, art shows and conservation themed birthday parties. They were really showing up. I knew this could go big and that we desperately needed consistent, INSPIRING environmental education in schools.
I aim to emulate the infectious awe of David Attenborough's Blue Planet and bring that power to classrooms.
Eternal gratitude to Sharklady Kim and my Rimba family. And to the interns - Isaure, Nikki, Azlani and Sophie B.
Seeing people come alive for a cause sets my soul on fire. It's where movements start.
These documentaries were my game-changers:
THE COVE
Back in 2009 the Cove had a huge impact on me, cementing my desire to live for a cause. My dive career began shortly after.
CHASING CORAL
In 2017 the dive team hid from the rain and watched Chasing Coral. I think every one of us cried. This triggered a Conservation Club overhaul and the introduction of Rimba Eco Weekends.
RACING EXTINCTION
Racing Extinction shook me to the core as my mind fired ideas on how to get this desperate message out there. It was how Ocean Child came to life.