Inspiration

A curated collection of people, projects, stories, and places that inspire the world of Clownfish Studio. From women of the sea and organisations we admire to books, films, podcasts, events, and destinations worth dreaming of, this is where the horizon opens a little wider.

Explore all at your leisure or jump straight to: Women of the Sea · Organisations We Love · Ocean Lover's Library · Watch, Listen & Dive Deeper

Coming soon: Favourite Dive & Ocean Events · Destinations to Dream Of

Women of the Sea

A growing tribute to women whose lives and work help us see the ocean differently. Through science, diving, exploration, advocacy, storytelling, and conservation, they remind us that the sea is not only a place of mystery and beauty, but also of courage, knowledge, and belonging.

Illustrated tribute badges were created for this feature.

Dr. Eugenie Clark

Known as the Shark Lady, Dr. Eugenie Clark (1922-2015) was a trailblazing marine biologist and scientific diver who explored the underwater world at a time when scuba diving was still in its early years.

As a woman of Japanese and American heritage in a field still dominated by men, she challenged old assumptions and helped replace fear of sharks with fascination. Her story also lives on in the beautiful children’s book Shark Lady, a reminder to young readers that science, courage, and curiosity belong to girls too.

"I don't get philosophical. Love fish. Love sharks. Keep the water and their habitats as clean as possible." - Dr. Eugenie Clark

Dr. Sylvia Earle

Known around the world as Her Deepness, Dr. Sylvia Earle (1935) is a marine biologist, explorer, record-setting deep diver, and founder of Mission Blue™, the global initiative behind the Hope Spots™ movement.

She inspires us through a lifetime of ocean dedication that has never drifted far from the sea. Even into her nineties, she continues to dive, speak, and advocate for ocean protection with extraordinary clarity and energy.

"No water, no life. No blue, no green. No Ocean, no us." - Dr. Sylvia Earle

Jill Heinerth

Jill Heinerth (1965) is an explorer, writer, filmmaker and climate advocate who inspires us through a rare combination of courage, technical mastery, and composure.

As one of the world’s leading cave divers she has ventured into the most remote and demanding underwater places on Earth, revealing hidden worlds with skill and remarkable calm. She reminds us that true exploration is not only about daring, but also about judgement, resilience, and a deep curiosity.

"As I dwell on the threshold of darkness, I might be scared, but I don’t run away. I dance in the joy of uncertainty." - Jill Heinerth

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Marine biologist, writer, and policy expert, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (1980) inspires us by showing that ocean advocacy can be rigorous, imaginative, and deeply human at the same time.

Through her work as co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, co-editor of All We Can Save, and author of What If We Get It Right?, she connects marine science with climate justice, culture, and possibility in a way that feels both urgent and hopeful.

"Act as if you love the future." - Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

Rose Huizenga

Combining conservation with women empowerment, entrepreneur, ocean advocate, and master scuba instructor Rose Huizenga (1984) inspires us because her ocean work is rooted not just in protection, but in possibility.

Through Gili Shark Conservation and Coral Catch, Indonesia’s first all-female coral restoration training program, she has turned conservation into a pathway for local women to learn, lead, and shape the future of their own reefs. As Sea Hero of the Year 2023 and Blue Water Hero 2024, her work feels bold, practical, and deeply hopeful at the same time.

"I didn’t want to stand on the sidelines and watch other people try to solve a problem for which we are all responsible." - Rose Huizenga

Madison Stewart

Known to many as Shark Girl, filmmaker and technical diver Madison Stewart (1993) inspires us through a kind of ocean advocacy that is both fearless as well as rooted in empathy and deeply humane.

As the founder of Project Hiu, she has helped turn shark fishing boats in Lombok into vessels for tourism, proving that protecting sharks can also mean creating new futures for the people who once depended on catching them.

"...honestly what I want to leave most is not what I have done for sharks, but how I did it. Through compassion and emotional understanding." - Madison Stewart

Organisations We Love

A curated selection of organisations, initiatives and ocean-minded brands that inspire us through ocean care, education, community action and thoughtful advocacy

Coral Catch

The women-led restoration initiative in Indonesia that inspired us so much, we decided to donate through our Living Coral collection.

Visit CoralCatch.org

Girls That Scuba

The world's largest community for women who are passionate about scuba diving.

Take me there...

Sea Shepherd is an international non-profit that protects marine wildlife and ocean habitats through bold direct action, investigation, and relentless defense on the front lines at sea.

No compromise in defense of marine life.

Take action

Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue™ is uniting a global coalition to increase public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas called Hope Spots®.

SeaLegacy’s mission is to inspire people to fall in love with the ocean, amplify a network of changemakers, and catalyze hands-on diplomacy through hopeful, world-class visual storytelling

Tell great stories. Save the ocean.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

Jacques-Yves Cousteau

 Bring a little reef home

Ocean Dream pillowcases with Living Coral designs: inspired by the colours, textures and quiet abundance beneath the surface.

Explore Ocean Dream

Ocean Lover's Library

These are some of our personal favourites: remarkable books by women whose work meets the sea with intelligence, depth, courage, and wonder. If one of these titles speaks to you, we warmly encourage you to seek it out through a local bookshop or your library.

The Soul of an Octopus

Sy Montgomery

Tender, surprising, and full of intelligence, this is one of those books that changes how you look at marine life. A beautiful choice for anyone fascinated by animal minds and the emotional depth of the sea.

The Sea Around Us

Rachel Carson

A true classic of ocean writing: lyrical, intelligent, and still powerful. Carson’s work helped generations of readers see the sea as a living system, not just a backdrop. Introduced by Margaret Atwood.

Into the Planet

Jill Heinerth

A gripping memoir of cave diving, exploration, and what it means to move calmly through extreme environments. For readers drawn to underwater mystery, courage, and the edges of the known world.

Salt On Your Tongue

Charlotte Runcie

A thoughtful, beautifully written book about women and the sea, weaving memory, myth, longing, and the deep blue into something both intimate and expansive.

Below the Edge of Darkness

Dr. Edith Widder

A mesmerising journey into the deep ocean, where bioluminescence and scientific discovery illuminate hidden worlds. A compelling read for anyone fascinated by deep-sea life and the wonder of science.

What the Wild Sea Can Be

Helen Scales

Hopeful, intelligent, and quietly urgent, this is a beautiful book about the ocean’s future. An inspiring choice for readers who want ocean writing that holds both truth and possibility.

Watch, Listen & Dive Deeper

A curated shelf of films, talks, podcasts and ocean stories — for quiet evenings, surface intervals and the moments when you want to stay close to the sea.

Feature Films & Documentaries

Watch

Stories that pull us below the surface and remind us why reefs, kelp forests, deep-sea worlds and marine life are worth protecting. Start with Chasing Coral, a powerful documentary following divers, scientists and filmmakers as they reveal the reality of coral bleaching.

Also worth watching:

Featured: Chasing Coral - Netflix / Exposure Labs

PODCASTS, TALKS & CONVERSATIONS

Listen

Conversations that bring the ocean a little closer - through science, exploration, personal stories and the people working beneath and beside the surface. Start with Why are whale sharks so prone to injury? exploring why these extraordinary animals are particularly vulnerable to injury.

Also worth listening to:

OCEAN SCIENCE & NATURAL HISTORY

Learn

A closer look at the extraordinary systems, species and behaviours beneath the surface - from kelp forests and coastal ecosystems to sharks, sea slugs and some of the ocean’s strangest inhabitants. Start with Our Planet – Coastal Seas, an exploration of the rich but increasingly pressured waters where land meets ocean.

Also worth exploring:

Featured: Coastal Seas - Netflix / Our Planet

UNDERWATER SLOW TIME

Drift

No lesson, no storyline, nowhere to get to. Just the slow, strange beauty of life underwater - for background calm, surface intervals or those moments when you simply want the ocean nearby. Start with Mesmerising Leafy Seadragons from Ocean Imaging, and let yourself drift for a while.

Also worth drifting into:

Featured: Mesmerising Leafy Seadragons - Ocean Imaging