The Ocean

Right now, I live on Boracay, a tropical island in the central Philippines. The water changes color from day to day. All depending on the sky. Sometimes blue, sometimes green, sometimes grey, and sometimes a bright, perfect turquoise. For my birthday, my parents gave me a new snorkeling mask, and I’ve been using it nonstop! I snorkel almost every day, even when it rains. I love the ocean, and apparently, I’m not the only one. Crabs, fish, coral, turtles, and starfish. They’re not just in the sea anymore. They’re showing up on the runway, the screen, and maybe more importantly, in people’s consciousness. From mermaidcore and ocean girl trends to the weird rising popularity of David Attenborough. It seems like everyone is obsessed with the ocean these days, and I’m totally here for it!

As spring turns to summer, the ocean is suddenly EVERYWHERE. It hit me when the Australian brand Speed dropped their ocean-themed collection last week. Designer Alvi Chung called it a “sunset under the ocean,” and honestly, she nailed it. Beautiful materials and beautiful colors in dark shades. Vogue journalist Will Lennox writes in their May newsletter edition that "Alvi Chung sets her sights far into the future, presenting our world wrecked by our own doing." A ballsy but true statement, in my opinion. Chung presents a vision of Earth that has been damaged or destroyed due to human actions. Maybe she’s even pointing directly at the audience themselves? Speed’s runway appearance became very popular and received a lot of good feedback afterwards. Whether it’s caused by pollution guilt or pure fascination, I don’t know. But it looks like this is the summer where we’re finally paying attention to life under the sea.

The ocean is mysterious. I remember when I was in elementary school and the teacher mentioned the 10,935-meter-deep Mariana Trench outside of China. I couldn’t stop reading about it for weeks. I bought science magazines and posters for my room that described the different layers of the trench. It was like a weird obsession had woken up inside me. Everything from a water spider with eight-meter-long legs to jellyfish that change color depending on the temperature. It felt like the line between reality and fiction had blurred. And I don’t think I’m the only one. One time, my sixth-grade teacher made the whole class write on a note what we wanted to be when we grew up. She then mixed the notes in a bowl, drew one, and then everyone had to guess who wrote what. My class had more than one aspiring marine biologist to say the least, and even today, I still have friends who are working toward that goal. I genuinely admire them. That job requires way more biology than my wired creative brain cells could ever handle... anyways.. I consider myself living proof that the ocean can capture literally anyone. From elementary school kids to teenagers, adults, and yes, David Attenborough.

If you don’t recognize the name David Attenborough, I swear you’ve definitely heard him on National Geographic. He’s the calm, deep, iconic voice behind series like Planet Earth, The Blue Planet, and Dynasties. His career spans over seven decades, and he’s admired for his lifelong dedication to raising awareness about our environment.

A few weeks ago, the documentary OCEAN with David Attenburgh, produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, was released. In interviews, Attenburgh states that this might be the most important documentary he has ever made. In the film, he quotes:

“After living almost one hundred years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.”

“We are draining the life of our ocean. Today, it's in such poor health that I would find it hard not to lose hope, were it not for the most remarkable discovery of all: The ocean can recover faster than we had ever imagined; it can bounce back to life.”

“It may not just recover, but thrive beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.”

This has taken off in pop culture, and Gen Z is now going crazy over Attenborough. “Go watch his documentary!” “See it in the cinema for the full experience!” “This summer’s must-watch!” I’ve seen reels of Gen Z all over the world, from big guy groups to girlfriend duos, swapping out Budweiser and Love Island for this ocean documentary- Amazing!

Other movies that have been blowing up this summer are the Disney sensation Moana, along with the new live-action Lilo & Stitch. I read in The Wall Street Journal that Disney turned Lilo & Stitch's $100 million budget into nearly $1 billion at the global box office. That's insane. I'm not judging though; I’m a total sucker for that movie as well (and the casting oh my goodnessss).

So this is just a few of my thoughts on the ocean obsession that seems to be sweeping the world right now. Whether it’s through powerful nature documentaries, high-fashion runways, or yet another Disney reboot, one thing is clear: the ocean is having a moment. And hopefully, it’s not just another fleeting trend, but a real shift in awareness within pop culture. You remember summer 2015, when the video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose went viral? It sparked outrage among Gen Z all around the world and led to volunteer programs, fundraising, and beach cleanups everywhere. If you ask my friends, they’d probably say I tend to be a little too optimistic, but I hope that with some genuine consciousness, good hearts, and maybe a bit of luck, that the same spirit can rise again this summer.