Emma, from Indonesia, won our first WhyCoexist competition and brought her sister, Bella, to the Seychelles. This experience is all about making a meaningful impact on those passionate about marine conservation.
Both Emma and Bella completed their PADI open water as part of the prize which inspired them to go on and complete their advanced course when returning home.
As part of the Coexist family, we regularly stay in touch with Emma and are thrilled to share some of what she’s achieved. Our friendship, support and guidance will always be available for Emma, and all winner’s of this incredible experience.
She joined Ocean X on a five-day expedition from Jakarta to Bali, meeting scientists, young explorers, and working with advanced research equipment. This inspired her to apply for university scholarships to study oceanography in Australia.
Currently, she’s interning in Raja Ampat with ReShark’s STAR project, the world’s first shark nursery. Emma helps care for leopard shark eggs, monitors tanks, and assists in surgeries to tag the sharks before releasing them into protected waters.
She received a GenSea mini-grant for a coral reef restoration project in Nusa Lembongan and is also completing a short film on Indonesian female divers, supported by Ocean Culture Life.
Emma was selected as an ambassador for the SHEBA Hope Reef project and is set to share her conservation story with the world.
We’re so proud of everything Emma has achieved. For us, this competition is about making a genuine impact on the lives of those who share our passion for the ocean and inspiring real change for future generations.
We hope you find these videos as inspiring as we do. These are of the winner’s experience, a message from Emma following the trip and her original entry. A simple submission can win a life-changing opportunity.
“I wanted to express my gratitude to the Co-Exist team—your program really pushed me into this field.
Winning the Co-Exist contest taught me to apply for everything—nothing to lose, everything to gain. I’ve been accepted to universities like Monash, University of Sydney, and James Cook to study conservation/marine biology.
I wanted to share the impact you have made on me and life. The trajectory of my career and path has drastically changed, my activism has become more serious and I truly believe I can grow in this industry.
I can never truly express my gratitude and show how grateful I am for that original experience that got me into diving, and shifted my work from awareness on environmental issues to hands on work in the field.
I hope everyone with Co-Exist is doing okay! Let me know if there’s anything to get involved in <3 anything for co-exist.”
Emma
