Ceara Wallace | Ocean Photographer | Scuba Diver | Freediver | Marine biologist | New Zealand
Ceara was born in South Africa but she mostly grew up in New Zealand and that is where she is currently based for now too, working and living in the Far North.
Ceara’s passion for the ocean led her to complete her Divemaster and Instructor course in the beautiful Indonesian waters. Since then, she has been working with the Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust as a marine ecologist conducting fish abundance surveys through timed transect swims; biodiversity dives; using BUV (baited underwater video); data analysis; report writing; community engagement.
In her spare time, Ceara loves freediving, capturing her special encounters underwater.
When did you first start your storytelling journey?
I guess in 2017 when I was finishing my undergrad in marine sciences and starting to travel that’s when I began to really spend more time around the ocean and share what I was up to.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
My grandparents used to be game rangers back in South Africa, so they would take us through the parks as kids and teach us about all the animals, from the tiny birds to the big five, as well as all the grasses and plants. They were huge conservationists and still my biggest role models, so I think a lot of things must have stuck with me during those long drives in the truck looking for rhinos and leopards.
We didn’t have many beach holidays but the aquarium was my second favourite place to go, so my affinity for watching fish was strong from the very start.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
I went straight to Uni after school and started a BioMed degree which I switched after the 3rd year to finish with a Bachelors of Marine Science. I then went travelling and spent time building on my dive skills, learning all I could about our reefs and the marine life. That got me pretty heavily involved in eco-tourism and marine conservation and that’s where I have been since.
What/who currently inspires you?
My boss and mentor is 71 years old and an absolute legend! Half our email chain revolves around the surf report and when the swell is good I don’t hear from him.
He’s been heavily involved in the marine conservation industry for decades is still so passionate and brings good energy to what he does so a huge inspiration to me.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
I would love to see more places protected and made accessible so everyone can truly experience nature as it was intended and fall back in love with it!
I think a lot of people have lost their connection to the natural world and their intuition and we are losing too many beautiful places to development or degradation, so there is a generation that soon won’t even know what they’re missing. It goes with that saying “In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we know; and we will know only what we are shown” or something like that.
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking, and that you'd like to recommend to other ocean lovers?
My top 3 books would be:
Swell by Liz Clark
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
What a Fish Knows by Jonathan Balcombe
Doco’s would be:
Jago: A Life Underwater’ and the Ying & Yang of Jerry Lo
What legacy do you hope to leave?
Helping create more marine reserves. But there is so much about our oceans to love and get excited about, so if I can change just one persons mind about loving the ocean and wanting to protect it, then I’m happy.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an Ocean Storyteller?
I guess just go out and do it! The ocean doesn’t have a voice so it needs as many people as possible speaking on its behalf to love and protect it.
Current Projects
Im finishing up a rāhui monitoring report I’m doing for a local iwi (think Maori tribe/traditional custodians of an area). A rāhui can be considered like a traditional version of a marine reserve - not legally recognised but still respected. We have been surveying the area to see if the protection yields the same benefits as a conventional MR’s, which it does!
