Position: Television presenter and producer, Field: Education and entertainment, Organisation: Young Ocean Explorers.
Teenager Riley Hathaway started life as a water baby. With a dad who loves the water, Riley was exposed to marine life from an early age. Riley did a school project about sea turtles accidentally eating floating plastic. She used some of her dad’s underwater video footage and interviewed a turtle expert. The video was a hit with her teacher and, even more importantly, her brother’s year 6 class. This inspired Riley and her dad Steve to make a series of short videos called Young Ocean Explorers.
Riley’s life has been quite an adventure since then. She has swum with sharks, overcome her fear of crabs and inspired a new generation of young people to look after the sea.
It wasn’t me inspiring kids. This is a kid inspiring kids about this amazing world.
Steve Hathaway
Steve Hathaway grew up loving adventures, but it was snorkelling that really seized his attention. After a lifetime of enjoying the sea, Steve decided to become a professional underwater videographer. Since then, he’s filmed a number of underwater projects – including documentaries appearing on BBC, Discovery TV, National Geographic and TVNZ.
Following on the success of Young Ocean Explorers, the Hathaways secured funding though grants and a Kickstarter campaign to donate a copy of the series DVD and book to every school in New Zealand and the Cook Islands. They have also filmed a second series of Young Ocean Explorers.
Useful links
Watch Riley and Steve Hathaway discuss their new series of Young Ocean Explorers in this video.
Watch some of Steve’s underwater video footage here.
Riley and Steve were part of a TEDxAuckland event, watch the video.
Visit the new interactive Young Ocean Explorers website aimed at primary school students.
Go here to purchase a copy of the Young Ocean Explorers DVD and Love Our Ocean book.
