MARGOT HISLOP
From teenage beach bum to talented marine wildlife artist, Margot’s combined her lifelong love for art, marine biology and science education to win the ‘ocean trifecta’…
Living by the ocean her whole life, Margot spent most of her teenage years on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach (NSW, Australia) – swimming and body surfing.
“I had a friend who lived on a boat, so had lots of sleepovers on the family’s yacht,” Margot said.
“Many hours were spent in the dinghy and pottering around the part of Sydney Harbour where the yacht was moored.
“It’s those early years when most of us develop our love for the ocean!”
DIVING DEEPER
Margot’s days as a teenage beach bum eventually led to snorkelling and scuba diving.
“I’ve dived and snorkelled in many places around Australia, from Bawley Point on the New South Wales South Coast to Heron Island in North Queensland and across to Exmouth in Western Australia.
“Exploring the reefs around Papua New Guinea, Grand Cayman Island, and the Galapagos Islands rate among my favourite overseas destinations.
“From being dwarfed by whale sharks in the turquoise waters of Ningaloo [Western Australia] to cage-diving with Great White sharks in Port Lincoln [South Australia], it’s fair to say I’ve experienced the ‘super-friendly’ and the ‘super-feared’ of marine life.”
COAST WITH THE MOST
Now living near the beach on the beautiful Central Coast (NSW, Australia), Margot shares her passion for the ocean with others via her business Mango SEA [science, education, art].
“Walking the beach every day I find all sorts of animals and interesting things, which inspires my art.
“I also lead groups of people on educational tours of the local rockpools to reveal all the fascinating animals living there.
“Helping people to connect with nature and sharing in their amazement at what they discover on closer inspection of the marine environment is so rewarding.
“I’ve also run education programs about the worldwide problem of plastic pollution for Take 3 for the Sea, as well as my local council.”
Margot doing what she loves most… after painting marine wildlife!
REVOLVING DOOR
For many years, Margot was involved with Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue, when the volunteer organisation used to have a branch on the Central Coast.
“We rescued injured sea turtles, sea snakes, and all sorts of marine birds, many of which were brought into my home for care and rehabilitation.
“I’ve had sea turtles in tubs in my backyard, sea snakes in my laundry, and many seabirds in my bathroom for overnight stays!
“Sadly, many rescued animals were injured by entanglement in marine debris, struck by boats or had ingested plastic.
“Many animals didn’t survive, but when we could release some back into the wild, it was such an incredible feeling.”
ENDLESS SUPPLY
Margot’s care for the ocean and its inhabitants extends to collecting rubbish from beaches – almost daily for nearly two decades.
“Collecting plastic rubbish on my daily walks is really frustrating as there’s a seemingly endless supply of it.
“Over all these years, I continue to see the same items appear again and again… fishing line, bait bags, food wrappers, cigarette butts and plastic drink bottles.
“I’ve even found McDonald’s styrofoam burger packaging, which was phased out of use by the fast-food brand well over 30 years ago!
“If anyone needs an everyday example to highlight how long plastic persists in the environment, sadly, this is it.”
GLOBAL EFFORT
From the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountains on land – even in our bodies – we know plastic is everywhere… unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet and everyone needs to step up.
“Every single one of us can do our bit, such as avoiding plastic wherever possible.
“There are so many alternative products available these days… reusable, compostable, and biodegradable packaging is the way to go.
“Plant-based materials like cotton, bamboo, wood, paper and cardboard are genuine alternatives to plastic and are a positive way forward to help curb plastic pollution.
“We need to pick up rubbish wherever we see it – not just in the ocean and along our beaches, but on footpaths in the city, in public parks, at the side of the road… so much debris is washed into our waterways every time it rains, which eventually ends up in our oceans.
“We can also support ocean conservation and marine education organisations, as well as choose to buy products from ethical businesses that put the ocean and our health and wellbeing at the fore… we’ll all win as a result.
“It’s time to make a serious effort to look after our planet, so it can continue to look after us!”