Meet the Team

Meet the Teamwebstudio2019-12-18T18:15:14+00:00

Ocean Soldiers is an organization inspired by the ocean.

The ocean, is the giver of all life as it produces 90% of the oxygen on the planet. Without oxygen no life exists.

Without coral reefs, the ocean would lose one of the most important organisms on the planet. We are dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of a healthy ocean and the coral reef system, so that our children and grandchildren of generations to come, can continue to enjoy our greatest assets.

Thanks to many organizations around the world, the battle to protect our environment is continuing and our aim is to support those organizations, by raising public awareness of the extreme problems we are facing.

By the sale of our products we hope to be able to donate and support some of the foundations that have a good track record of coral reef restoration and ocean cleanup.

Ocean Soldiers

FOTO GREG

GREG HILLS

Founder

Born on the island of Tasmania and surrounded by water, I developed an affinity with the sea. At the age of 16, I joined the Royal Australian Navy, were I served as a search and rescue diver for 6 years. I then started my career as a seaman on all manner of vessels from sailing yachts, ocean going tug boats, dive safari boats and finally mega yachts.

During a lifetime of navigation, I have photographed the strong impact man has had on the oceans witnessing the decline all over the world of the underwater environment.

More recently, I reacquainted with an old friend with similar concerns and we decided that my images might be a great way to generate awareness of the destruction and contamination of our oceans and reefs. This was a positive way to generate funds which could be used in education and to help fund organizations directly involved in coral reef restoration and ocean cleanups.

OFELIA MENDEZ

Founder

From the age of 5, accompanied by my mother and grandmother, I spent my school holidays on an uninhabited island on the coast of Panama, where we lived in close contact and dependence upon the sea.

These early years awakened my passion for the ocean and a dream of traveling the world upon its surface. During my adult life I have participated in several different industries such as aviation, automotive and more recently in the financial world.

In 2002, I bought my first sailing boat, and it was soon followed in quick succession by a second and a third. Aboard these sailing catamarans, I had the privilege to see many amazing places and experience at first hand one of the wonders of the world, “a magnificent coral reef”. On one of my trips, I met Greg, who was captain of a large motor yacht docked next to me in San Andres, Colombia.

He invited me for a tour of his vessel and it was at this time I also got to see some of his amazing photographs. Greg explained that in the future, he would like to publish some of the vast collection of images he had taken as he travelled the world. After many years, our paths crossed again this time we both arrived with a firm conviction to support the conservation and health of the oceans; the greatest lungs of our planet.