Hello Ocean Explorers!
It is only fitting that for our second post you get to know a little bit about us, the founders of East African Ocean Explorers! To state the obvious, we are big lovers of the ocean, in fact we spend as much time as we can on or under the water, because even if you visit the same place twice you are guaranteed to have a different experience; the more you visit some where you start to learn about the behaviours and characters of the residents of these submerged ecosystems.
Meet Jahawi, we can call him the mind behind the project! Even though Jah was brought up in Nairobi, he spent a lot of his childhood visiting the south coast, nurturing a deep curiosity and love for the natural world. Through his work as a natural history film maker and photographer, specialising in wildlife and the underwater world, he strives to portray the beauty, power and vulnerability of wild environments. He is also incredibly inspired by music; his first profession was as a DJ, composer and producer in Nairobi at the age of 14 and grew to an international level with tours through Europe and the States, he still occasionally performs and makes most of the music for our films.
Now for me, Elke, since Jah is the mind I would be the heart of the project, the people person! I grew up on our beautiful coastline in a family run hotel in the small fishing village of Shella in the Lamu Archipelago surrounded by the vast Indian Ocean where the only means of transport are boat, donkey or foot. Growing up here allowed incredible freedom for exploration; untouched beaches, under the waves or a drift on the deep ocean and even weaving between the narrow, ancient streets of the historical settlements of Lamu. This upbringing has sparked my interest in adventure, life on and in the ocean, as well as the numerous, fascinating cultures of the world. Having grown up in a hotel I have spent a lot of time working in all areas of the hospitality industry, but still tap into my creative side through photography, art, pottery and now film. My hospitality connection also makes me perfectly suited to organise our ocean excursions!
To read up a little more about us and what we want to achieve click on our logo: