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  • Meet Three Ocean Dads Who Are Going With The Flow

This Father’s Day we thought we’d celebrate by chatting with some of our favourite Dads about their connection with the ocean and their beautiful children. We designed Little Urchin to help protect both our oceans and our littlies from the suns harsh rays and nasty chemicals. 

The ocean is responsible for at least half of the oxygen on the Earth, which is why at Little Urchin we take our job to help look after it very seriously. We also want to help our kiddies learn about its spectacular traits so they can help protect it for future generations. Here are the tales of three families that can’t help but gravitate towards it.

Ted O'Donnell, father of two, Photographer,

Ted Odonnel with kids

Ted and his family are no strangers when it comes to the ocean, they spend endless summers enjoying Mother nature’s beauty. “We choose to live near the beach so that we can experience the vastness of the ocean constantly, and be in contact with the life within it,” he explains.

Ted is helping his two littlies understand “that they are the stewards of [the environment], and that the power they have inherited as human beings comes with a huge responsibility that we all have to shoulder.”

“Nothing fills me with more awe than experiencing the wilderness, and seeing animals thrive in their natural environment.” 

Exploring rock pools, surfing and jumping over waves, “some of my happiest times are being in the water with my kids, and I never see them more full of life than when we are swimming together. It just draws them in and nothing could make me happier.”

Chris Mathews, father of one, Founder & Director, Little Urchin,

Chris Matthews Playing Ocean Daughter

 

To explain Chris’ appreciation for the ocean in a couple of words is pretty much impossible. Chris started Little Urchin to help protect his daughter from nasty chemicals. When he started looking into what went into some chemical-based sunscreens, he couldn’t believe the potentially damaging impact they were having not only on families around the world but on our precious reefs.   

“If our natural habitat and resources go wrong, nothing else will go right.” Chris explains:  Plans to protect our air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect ourselves and our children's future.” 

Living by the sea, the ocean plays an integral part in the Mathews’ family life.  “We love the sea and spend hours playing and relaxing on the beach and in the water and just enjoying it. We feel rejuvenated by the sea and it helps connect us to our bodies, to nature and to our surroundings. It’s the gift that keeps on giving”.

“Teaching my daughter the importance of caring for our Planet and our oceans is vitally important to me” says Mathews. “Whether it be choosing reef safe sunscreen, eliminating single-use plastic or choosing more sustainable eating habits… I believe we all have an important role to play”.

Tim Tregoning, father of two, Cinematographer

Tim Teragoning with kids

“If I could teach my kids one thing about the environment it would be that we have to be conscious about every decision we make because every decision can and will impact our environment,” father of two, Tim explains.

Living north of Sydney on the golden Avalon beach, The Tregoning family’s whole life revolves around the ocean, “it’s a sanctuary where we spend hours and hours of time exploring, swimming and surfing. The beach is where we gather with friends and family, the ocean means everything to us.”

Tim wants to empower his kids to make environmentally friendly choices “if I can teach our children one thing, it would be to not purchase or use any single-use plastic products to help prevent our oceans from being polluted with plastic and microplastics.”