After I had determined that there was little to no attention for underwater nature journaling, I decided to turn the tide.
My goal was to let more people discover the underwater world. To do this, it was necessary to make it accessible. First, I had to test whether it was as easy as I had hoped to snorkel and draw in the water. Diving and drawing went fine. But in a more wobbly environment and with colored pencils, that was still questionable. To test that, I went to Lanzarote in January 2025. My drawing coach was also there at that time. I had already infected her with my snorkeling and drawing hobby. Then we could try it out together. Much more fun. My main motivation to go to Lanzarote was that the outside and water temperature there were much better suited for these tests than in the Netherlands.
By the way, I have also tested it in the Netherlands in the meantime. Also doable, provided you choose the right location, but less accessible for everyone. In the Netherlands you really need extra insulating clothing. And in the very cold months the aquatic life hides. In the future I will also put vlogs of these sessions on the website.
The outcome of Lanzarote was that it went well. Even better than expected. Now I wanted to spread these experiences in the world. Starting with nature journalists. I contacted John Muir Laws. He was very enthusiastic.
On April 10, 2025, I gave a workshop on this subject together with John, via the internet. Among other things, I showed an impression of my experiences. You can see that impression below.