Eve Isambourg: Changing the World Starts in Your Backyard
Eve Isambourg
A child of the tide. Ocean conservation activist, surfer, yoga teacher, and naturopathy student, who wants to be seen not for her face, but for what she has to say.
Who is Eve Isambourg?
Eve grew up between waves and mountains. Born on France's northwest coast to parents who sailed and windsurfed for a living, she moved with her family to Mauritius at 13, a decision she describes as life-changing, dropping her into the middle of the Indian Ocean and, as she puts it, into her genetic inheritance as an islander. It wasn't until she left the island for undergraduate studies in Paris that she fully understood how deep that connection to the sea actually ran.
That realization turned into a decade of work: at 19, she spoke for the ocean at the United Nations. She launched the global #IspeakBlueToo campaign in 2018, sailed a month-long stretch from Stockholm to New York aboard the Peace Boat, helped organize a Mauritius-wide World Clean Up Day that pulled in more than 3,000 volunteers, and once helped block an international cruise ship from docking at a pristine island in New Caledonia. Through it all, she's been clear about what she wants people to take from her: not her face, but what she has to say.
Tell us about yourself, Eve.
"I like to think that I am a child of the tide, or at least to never forget that I come from a family of the sea. Born in France, on the northwest coast, by the ocean, from parents who rode waves windsurfing. My brother and I were two lucky fish, having the chance to travel young to some beautiful places around the globe. We moved to Mauritius in 2011, a family decision, and for sure a life-changing experience. I was 13. Lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean, growing up in such a paradise, is pure bliss: right in between the waves and the mountains."
"I have always loved the ocean. I like to say I am genetically islander. But I wasn't properly aware of my deep connection with nature until I moved to Paris for my undergrad studies. I quickly came to realize what I wanted my life to be about: the sun, the sand, and the sea. If I couldn't be by the sea, I decided I could speak up for it. That's my purpose, my mission on earth."
"I joined Acteurs pour le Changement, a group of committed people working for Mama Earth and the ocean. For a year and a half, I traveled to about 20 countries, joining missions, offering my time to local projects with global impacts. Whether I spoke up for the ocean at the United Nations at 19, launched #IspeakBlueToo, organized a World Clean Up Day that brought together more than 3,000 people, or helped stop a cruise ship from docking at one of the pristine islands in New Caledonia, I've loved all of those missions, where I felt not only useful, but carried by a wonderful human wave for change."
- Spoke for the ocean at the United Nations at 19
- Launched #IspeakBlueToo, went viral beyond Mauritius 2018
- Peace Boat youth ambassador · Stockholm to New York one month at sea
- World Clean Up Day, Mauritius 3,000+ volunteers
- Environmental Policy, Sciences Po global ocean governance
Your greatest inspirations or influences?
"When it comes to the deep blue, Sylvia Earle, who's dedicated her life to ocean science. When I left high school, my two major inspirations were Malala Yousafzai and Emma Watson. I love reading Jiddu Krishnamurti, and I feel inspired by anyone encouraging the idea of taking care of ourselves, each other, and the planet."
"Given how quickly the climate is changing, we're not changing fast enough, no doubt about that. But the good news is, at least we're changing. Take Mauritius: there have never been so many projects, campaigns, and organizations working to preserve that jewel of the Indian Ocean. There are two major processes: top-down and bottom-up. At the EU level some measures are taken, but it takes a long time for laws to be passed, and economic interests are very often a major obstacle. Bottom-up measures are just as impactful, in a different way. I like to say that changing the world starts in your backyard."
"Doing good for Mama Earth, for yourself, and for others is, in my opinion, the top priority when it comes to real happiness. We all have something to bring to the world. That's our mission, and to find it is to know ourselves."
"Love is a wonderful thing, and my advice to anyone who wants to do something good is: do it with love. Taking care of ourselves, our bodies and souls, of each other, friends, family, strangers, people in need, the planet, the ocean, requires love. Honestly, that's the best ingredient of it all."
On wellbeing.
"If you learn what's bad for your health, in terms of food, cosmetics, activities, addictions, you'll realize that very often, almost always, it's also bad for the planet. So I believe the best approach is a step-by-step path: ask yourself how you can be the change, knowing our daily habits play a major role. I'm vegan. I'm working toward being 100% zero waste. I raise my voice, create informative content, support local projects and international NGOs. I'm working on rethinking my transportation habits, having family all over the world isn't easy, and loving to travel doesn't help either, so that's probably my hardest challenge, especially when it comes to flying."
"My mission is to be a storyteller. I believe our life's work is doing what deeply makes us happy. If we all do that, I have no doubt it will bring optimism, respect, and care to the planet we live on."
"Changing the world starts in your backyard."
For World Oceans Day 2022, Eve partnered with Billabong to bring people together on the Plage de la Centrale in Hossegor, France, forming a human chain shaped like a wave: a physical, collective gesture in honor of the ocean.
Tell us about the Human Wave. Who is behind it, and what is the purpose?
"I believe the more we love, the more we care. There are thousands of us who spend time by the ocean but too often forget how precious it is. I believe we have a choice in how we raise awareness: through shaming, or through sensitizing with joy and love. I made my choice, and I know I'm not alone."
"As humans living in society, we like to feel we're part of something. Sometimes we hide behind labels and feel overwhelmed to commit, but this event is a reminder that it all depends on us. It depends on us to find the time to do what we think is right. I believe we don't have time to wait for anyone. What we really can change now is ourselves. This wave is a commitment, from us to us, from humans together, for the ocean."
How did you get inspired to do something like this?
"For the past five years, I've celebrated World Oceans Day in different ways, through the #IspeakBlueToo collective I created in 2018. I think what we really need today, especially after the past few years apart, is to connect: to meet up, hold hands, walk in the same direction. Sometimes symbols are worth a thousand words. That wave is a symbol, it speaks to everyone. I believe the language of the ocean is universal."
What does World Oceans Day mean to you?
"I wish it could be Earth Day, or Ocean Day, every day. But I've seen how strong the impact can be when people join forces on a specific date, around a shared vision. Some people say it's just a day. I tend to believe it's one more day: one more day to speak up, raise awareness, connect, and bring the ocean to the forefront. In the face of this urgency, there's no such thing as a useless day."
How can people do more for the ocean in their daily actions?
"There are thousands of little things to do, and it only depends on us to make them a priority. We've talked a lot about the plastic crisis, and it is indeed one of the biggest challenges when it comes to water contamination. The less plastic we use, the less plastic is produced, and the less plastic ends up in the ocean. I believe that's fairly easy to understand."
"This wave is a commitment. From us to us, from humans together, for the ocean."
Eve Isambourg is an ocean conservation activist, surfer, yoga teacher, and naturopathy student from Mauritius, and the founder of the #IspeakBlueToo campaign. She has served as a youth ambassador for the Peace Boat and studied Environmental Policy at Sciences Po. Follow her on Instagram.
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