The ocean is being killed, and the people responsible are getting away with it.
I came to ocean journalism through an unusual route. I spent two decades working in humanitarian crises and conservation programmes around the world, from Rwandan refugee camps and Gaza to coral reef projects in Madagascar, turtle programs in the Seychelles, and whale conservation in the Canary Islands and São Tomé.
That work taught me two things. First: environmental and humanitarian crises are inseparable. Second: the gap between what institutions promise and what they deliver kills people and ecosystems.
Now I run the anti-whaling and captivity campaigns at Whale and Dolphin Conservation. I write for The Guardian, BBC Wildlife, and Oceanographic Magazine. When whaling stories break, I’m the person broadcasters call.
I started Ocean Rising because the most important ocean stories don’t fit the news cycle. They’re too slow, too uncomfortable, too complex. Here, they get reported properly.
I get angry, and I stay on the story.
‘It’s like having a smart, honest friend in your inbox who actually gives a sh*t about the future.’ - David Vermuelen, Police Officer
This is not for everyone.
If you want to be told that reusable straws will save the ocean, this isn’t it.
But if you want the full picture, who’s failing, who’s fighting, and what it would actually take to change things, you’re in the right place. I cover the accountability and the hope. The investigations and the breakthroughs.
This is for people who can hold both.
‘I really admire your writing style, the way you share important stories with us, and above all, your courage in putting yourself ‘in the arena’, sharing thoughts that may provoke criticism, yet always responding with such grace.’ - Marta Cullell, Transformation Coach
What you get free:
Breaking news. The weekly Deep Brief. The Voice for the Blue podcast.
Enough to stay informed.
What you get paid (£6/month or £50/year):
The investigations and long-form essays. The ones that take months to report. The ones that reveal how governments claim success while ecosystems collapse, like the NOAA analysis showing 85% ‘compliance’ while 84% of vessels ignore whale protection rules. The ones that expose why a shipping disaster that poisoned Sri Lanka’s coastline resulted in penalties of $2 for every $1,000 in damage.
This is how you see how power actually works. The loopholes, the capture, the reasons nothing changes, and what it would take to fix it.
Paid subscribers also get extended Deep Briefs, early chapters from my book Finlay and the Whale (2027), Ten Minutes of Blue, short films for when you need to remember what we’re fighting for, and direct replies to your questions about ocean policy and governance.
£50/year. Less than an hour of most consultants’ time for twelve months of ocean intelligence you won’t find anywhere else.
Enough to stay ahead.
‘Thank you for Ocean Rising. Thank you for all you have done and will do. Becoming a Founding Member was an easy choice.’ — Richard Hixson, Founding Member
Founding Members (£100/year)
Everything above, plus quarterly briefings on investigations in progress, first look at major pieces, and the option to suggest questions I put to regulators and officials.
You’re not just subscribing. You’re funding the journalism that keeps institutions uncomfortable.
Student or facing hard times? Email me. I keep a few complimentary subscriptions for people who need them. This isn’t charity, it’s an investment in the next generation holding power to account.
‘You are the voice for the ocean, Luke’ - Saeeda Ahmed, Special Advisor to the Somalian President
3,500+ subscribers. 80+ countries.
The ocean is being decided right now. This is how you stay ahead of it.
— Luke
