Eco-living for the Sea

The Inspiration behind the greenest Blue

This all started because of a strong internal desire that crept up on me while I was working in marine tourism. I wanted to expand my audience and inspire readers to live a greener lifestyle in order to protect the big blue. That's where the inspiration for The Greenest Blue comes from - started in 2017, the blog is about enjoying our lives to the fullest while showing respect for our environment and being aware of how our lifestyle choices affect the planet. Essentially, it’s about living mindfully, taking care of ourselves and each other, and in doing so, taking care of the ocean. I think that, all too often, we get overwhelmed with the state of the environment the many, many social crises across the planet. But this blog is focused on stepping away from that “doom and gloom” attitude and embracing life for what it is today, while taking mindful actions that support our one-with-nature mindset.

Things have changed (a lot) since I started the blog. I’m in grad school, I’m learning more, and I’m focusing more on healing our relationships with ourselves, our peers, and our communities as a stepping stone to healing our relationship with nature. It is only when we view equality and inclusivity as completely and fully integrated with the conservation movement that we spark change from the very source. Green technology is innovative, and exciting, and potentially very necessary right now, but a lot of this is simply a band-aid on a much deeper wound.

If you don’t know where to start, jump in here!

My story

I am currently a marine mammal ecology PhD student in the Bio-Telemetry and Behavioral Ecology Lab at the University of California Santa Cruz, working with Dr. Ari Friedlaender and a lab full of kick-ass scientists. I am also a marine naturalist, wildlife photographer, and freelance writer who used to split my time between various islands and coastlines around the world working in marine conservation and tourism. I started out by bouncing between Maui and the San Juan Islands in northwestern Washington. A few years into this exciting career, I moved to a little town on the South Island of New Zealand called Kaikoura, known for its insane variety of marine life but perhaps most specifically, sperm whales and dusky dolphins. I’ve spent a season in Hervey Bay in Queensland, Australia working with the South Pacific humpback whales in between seasons in Kaikoura. In 2019, I worked as a whale swim guide in the Kingdom of Tonga – it is one of the few places in the world where it is legal to swim with humpback whales. My location changes frequently in this line of work. I am extremely fortunate to call such beautiful places home, and I try to not take it for granted – my time is spent raising awareness about marine conservation and teaching others about the beautiful creatures that call the ocean home. 

I grew up in Northern Idaho and completed my undergrad at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Two very non-oceany places. But one unwavering truth that’s followed me around is an intense fascination with the sea. I grew up vacationing on the Oregon Coast and we took a few family holidays to California, Mexico, and Hawai’i. But what really solidified my love of the sea was my study abroad experience in Perth, Western Australia. There is such an ocean-centric culture there - I was hooked! That led me to seek out a marine conservation internship in South Africa (volunteering with a resident marine biologist and working with a great white shark cage-diving tour operator). After that, I finished grinding away over my Chemical Engineering degree, graduated from college, and promptly set back out to explore the world.

what I do

My work is based in marine tourism. My research will investigate the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on Antarctic humpback whales near the Western Antarctic Peninsula. I will be utilizing drones to gather data on behavioral response and body condition, and am so excited to combine my love for flying with my passion for marine mammals!

Before I became a graduate student, I took guests out on eco-excursions and used my tours as a platform to foster unique learning opportunities around wildlife biology, ecology, and environmental conservation. I’ve done this in the form of whale watches, snorkel tours, and wild dolphin encounters.

When I’m not doing research or out on a boat taking passengers on these excursions, you can find me scuba and freediving, hunting for treasure, brewing good coffee, figuring out how to cook the world's most phenomenal vegetarian and vegan food, or blogging right here on The Greenest Blue. I have a passion for words and visuals and spend a significant amount of time writing about my interactions with the world.

Producing high-quality, creative, and unique content to promote a more wholesome and inclusive lifestyle and teach others about conservation is one of my greatest passions. I also love to travel and adventure with like-minded individuals. Check out my Portfolio & Press page for more info. Interested in collaborating with me? Contact me here. I'd love to hear from you!

Want to read more of my work? You can check out some of my past whale blogs for previous employers here:

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