“I once had a great phobia of all things under the sea. But once I got up close and personal with the incredible corals, of all shapes and sizes, and the huge array of fish – every spectrum of the rainbow – it was almost impossible to get me out of the water.
About a year later, and after the birth of my first child, I went diving in the same location and was shocked to find the corals mostly grey and crumbled. There were limited fish and there was plastic on the beach. I was horrified. As a new mother, it was at that moment I realised that, if my world can change so drastically in one year, how about in the lifetime of my child? It was from that moment on that I began to really intensify my thoughts on our impact on this planet and pledged to do whatever was within my capacity to make a difference.
Each and every one of us can make a difference. We protect what we love. I hope I can inspire families to leave technology behind for a moment to feel the spiritual value of connecting to nature and experiencing the magic and wonder of life on land and under the sea.”
About Nadya Hutagalung
Nadya Hutagalung is an eco-activist, television host, former model and mother of three. She is a household name across Asia. As a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador in 2017, Nadya joined Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment and actor Adrian Grenier in launching the global campaign – #cleanseas – and is a face of the UNs global #wildforlife campaign.
