This Surfer Turned Her Love of the Ocean into a Conservation Mission

Wendy sat down with cinematographer Lucia Santiago to learn about her love for the ocean and how she documents its beauty and its struggle.

Lucia Santiago grew up by the ocean in Spain, but some of the nearby beaches were too polluted to swim at. These days, she surfs in Noosa. She was so taken by the Australian seas that she pursued a career as a videographer so that she could share the wonder she witnesses and inspire people to protect the environment.

Lucia Santiago chose Noosa on the Sunshine Coast to call home

‘When I first came to Australia, the water was so clean and so different’, Lucia says. ‘I grew up watching surfing films of beautiful beach breaks in Australia, and as soon as I finished my studies and had an excuse to travel here, I came.’

Lucia had known from a young age that she wanted to surf, even with Spain’s cold water. ‘I knew I was a surfer many years before I had a surfboard – I was obsessed with it before I could try it’, she says.

Once in Australia, Lucia surfed and travelled around the East Coast, starting in the famous Northern Rivers area, before deciding to settle in Noosa eight years ago.

When you know you’re almost at the ocean

‘I met a group of people and made friends, then I fell in love with the national park – and the coastline here is very special,’ she says.

As well as the ease of surfing in warmer waters and enjoying the East Coast’s epic surf breaks, Lucia was drawn to life in the ocean. ‘There are so many marine creatures here – dolphins, whales, stingrays, and seals,’ she says. ‘It’s such a privilege. The colour of the water never stops surprising me.’

Why choose film?

For Lucia, seeing the clear waters and marine life in Australia was especially powerful after the pollution she’d seen in the ocean at an early age. She became determined to share what she saw to help educate people about what humans are doing to the natural world. ‘My passion and my heart are in the environment’, she says.

Lucia’s ability to connect with the beauty around her, and her urge to protect it, quickly turned into a career. She began filming and became a videographer, working for charities, government institutions, and – occasionally – environmentally responsible brands.

Capturing the ocean is an extension of Lucia’s passion for marine environments

Video came naturally to Lucia. ‘For me it’s the way I express myself. Film is powerful because it makes us feel emotions – I’m Spanish so I’m very emotional!’ she exclaims.

While Lucia’s work is often shared online, available to millions, she points out that the nature of her job can be isolating, sitting alone at a computer as she edits and constructs stories.

‘The moment when you share the video is a very vulnerable moment and people see through into your open heart, brain, and mind,’ she says. ‘When people connect with the message it’s humbling.’

Finding Meaningful Projects

Last year Lucia worked on a 13-minute documentary, Great Ocean Love, sharing stories from people, especially women, connected to the ocean down south, and communities around the Great Ocean Road. With threats to biodiversity posed by the continued exploration for oil and gas in the Otway Basin, the film also highlighted the need for environmental protection.

‘I did a road trip with a really inspiring group of women who are good surfers too,’ says Lucia. ‘It’s always so special to share time with people who have the same passions and same love of the ocean.’

Along the way, they also met a group of women in their 60s and 70s learning to bodyboard, and learned about their relationship with the ocean. ‘It’s all about seeking connections’, says Lucia. ‘I’m a strong supporter of sisterhood, it’s a beautiful way to support each other and we need more female energy in the world right now.’

As well as these films and her work with environmental groups, Lucia also occasionally works with carefully-vetted commercial brands.

Lucia has recently worked with Costa Del Mar, who turn ocean plastic into sunnies

Protect What’s Out There: How Costa Del Mar Are Tackling Ocean Pollution

Approach to Activism

Lucia’s greatest passion is around the need for humans to transition away from fossil fuels, and to stop gas and oil exploration. ‘As humans we are adaptable, we are creative… But we are running out of time,’ she says. ‘We really need to get our shit together.’

Like many others, there are times when the fight seems daunting. ‘At the moment, I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the bad news.’

But she has a strong focus on doing what we can, when we can, to help protect the environment. ‘It’s not about perfect choices, it’s just about trying to improve a bit,’ Lucia explains. ‘You don’t need to be perfect 24/7, but, for example, just try to eat more plant-based foods. It’s not black and white.’

Even if we don’t make it as a species – and it can feel like maybe we won’t at this rate – Lucia urges people to keep fighting to the end. ‘Be true to yourself, be authentic. Have your own criteria for thinking. Ask questions. Try to help, even if it’s just a little bit.’

‘Our biggest legacy is not what we take, but what we leave behind.’

Read more: The Company Who Wants to Make Turtles Less Grumpy

Photos thanks to @sunshineandsaltykisses