SeaBees | Olimpia Newlove & Corinne Phillips | Sydney
Seabees are an amazing group of freedivers, snorkelers and scuba divers who get together every two weeks to clean the beaches of Sydney. Organised by Ocean advocates and avid freedivers, Olimpia Newlove & Corinne Phillips, the group’s members have varied backgrounds; from working in the defence sector, medicos fields, radiation, being freedive instructors, artists and more!
“The ocean draws us all. Doesn’t matter what your other passions are, everyone can help make a difference.”
Illustration by Lily Padula - @lilypadula - www.lilypadula.com
What is a typical day like for you?
Cleanup days start around 7 am. We set up at the beach, get the gear ready and wait for the Bees to arrive to mingle and then prepare for the dive. We want to ensure everyone is safe and having fun. We run dive briefs for both the scuba group and the freedive/snorkelers. The divers get in and it’s trash finding time! Around Sydney, we get a lot of discarded fishing line and lures, soft plastics, cigarette butts and more. We sort and count trash afterwards and talk about the results with the group. All in all, it’s about a 4 hour day but it goes by very quickly! Everyone has a lot of fun and the amount of trash we always get is insane!
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
Olimpia and Corinne both have loved the ocean since they were young. They both are avid freedivers and protecting the marine life they love was a driving force to start SeaBees.
What/who currently inspires you?
We are inspired every day by individuals who make conscious choices that impact the natural world. Going fully plastic-free and investing in sustainable solutions is a step by step process and can take a lot of time. We promote several people and brands who/which exemplify this lifestyle.
What do you value most in life?
We appreciate our Bees who dedicate mornings to helping the ocean. It takes kindness, commitment, and a level of environmental responsibility to spend hours picking up what others have left behind.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
The amount of trash just sitting in the ocean and the amount of overfishing that is done overall. The reason there will be more plastic in the water soon than fish is a combination of the two, and it is truly heartbreaking.
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking?
We are always looking at new information which will help us be able to navigate tallying trash, refurbishing it and other ways to be better about managing waste we find during our cleanups.
What brings you the most joy?
Seeing how much love people show to protecting the ocean.
