LaFawnduh was the best thing that ever happened to Kip. A kelp forest is the best thing that ever happened to us. We're 100% positive it's our soul mate. Find out for yourselves on July 23 when we welcome filmmaker Natasha Benjamin & author David Helvarg for a conversation about Blue Forests.

Don’t miss an unforgettable evening with two outstanding kelp forest storytellers. Award-winning filmmaker Natasha Benjamin and Blue Frontier founder and author David Helvarg will share stories of loss, resilience, and recovery—and why there’s real hope for kelp along our coasts. 🌿🌊

Two powerful voices. One unforgettable evening. Join award-winning filmmaker Natasha Benjamin & pioneering ocean advocate David Helvarg on July 23 for stories, insights, & hope from the front lines of kelp forest recovery. Don’t miss this Ocean Hoptimism event. 🌿 www.oceanhoptimism.org/save-the-date

Even more reason to join us July 23! Alongside Natasha Benjamin’s film and David Helvarg’s new book, Reef Check will be on hand with the latest on California’s kelp forests—and ways to roll up your sleeves and get involved. Hope starts with showing up. 🌿🌊 Read more: www.reefcheck.org/kelp-forest-...

Go behind the scenes of Sequoias of the Sea on July 23. Join award-winning filmmaker Natasha Benjamin for a front-row look at California’s disappearing kelp forests, the communities fighting for their return, and the stories that didn’t all make it into the film. Hope included. 🌿🎬

The Cetacean Uprising Has Entered Phase Two.

What if the real story isn’t disappearing kelp forests—but the people refusing to let them disappear? On July 23, hear the remarkable story of collapse, resilience, restoration, and the communities fighting for one of the ocean’s greatest ecosystems. 🌿 www.oceanhoptimism.org/save-the-date

Trust.

Looked cute might delete later.

Us every time someone mentions kelp forests, sharks, SF Bay, diving, the deep sea, nudibranchs, or coral reefs... Wishing everyone a peaceful Fourth of July. May we all help build a country—and an ocean—worthy of celebrating. 🇺🇸🌊 www.oceanhoptimism.org

Join Ocean Hoptimism on July 23 for an unforgettable evening with award-winning filmmaker Natasha Benjamin and legendary ocean advocate David Helvarg. Explore the global story of kelp forests through film, storytelling, science, and hope. 🌿🌊🍻 www.oceanhoptimism.org/save-the-date

Through film, photography, storytelling, and conversation, discover why kelp forests matter—and how each of us has a role in their future. Join us July 23 at Faction Brewing in Alameda for an evening of science, exploration, community, and hope. 🌊 www.oceanhoptimism.org/save-the-date

Kelp forests haven’t fully come back—yet. But around the world, people are showing they can. New restoration efforts are revealing something remarkable: these underwater forests still possess an extraordinary capacity to recover if we give them the chance.

Kelp forests are the redwood forests of the sea—towering underwater ecosystems that shelter thousands of species, support fisheries, store carbon, and soften powerful waves. Yet around the world, many are disappearing before our eyes.

On July 23, Ocean Hoptimism returns to one of the ocean’s greatest stories. Join award-winning filmmaker Natasha Benjamin & pioneering ocean advocate and author David Helvarg for an evening exploring the beauty, importance, and future of the world’s kelp forests. www.oceanhoptimism.org/save-the-date

If kelp forests vanish, they won’t disappear alone. They take entire communities of life with them. The good news? Around the world, people are fighting back—and seeing signs of recovery. Join us July 23 for a night of stories, exploration, advocacy, and hope. 🌿 www.oceanhoptimism.org

Last April, Ocean Hoptimism explored community-based kelp recovery in Monterey. This July, we’re widening the lens to all of California and the global movement to protect kelp forests. Because recovery will take more than science—it will take stories, advocacy, and all of us. Stay tuned. 🌿

Something is happening beneath the canopy. Science. Storytelling. Advocacy. Recovery. This July, Ocean Hoptimism dives back into California’s kelp forests with a conversation you won’t want to hear about secondhand—and tangible ways to help write the next chapter. More details to be revealed soon!

“The Gang Attends Ocean Hoptimism.” Derivative? Nope. Ocean discourse. Kelp forests. Sharks. Deep-sea exploration. Seafood. Diving. SF Bay. Coral reefs. Science. Conservation. Policy. Community. Beer. Year 2 promise: thoughtful, hopeful, action-oriented conversations. Bullshit-free since 2025. 🌊🍻

Ya know how some people stop eating birthday cake before they hit the “regret” phase? Yeah… neither do we. 🎂🌊 We celebrated Ocean Hoptimism’s first anniversary with the appropriate amount of cake, which is apparently “too much.” If we’re quiet today, we’re in frosting recovery.

Happy Pride, family. ❤️🌈 Sing loud. Love wins. Joy matters. The ocean welcomes everyone.

Scuba certified? Want to learn to dive or travel with a business that proudly serves the LGBTQ+ community? Or looking for a way to turn your love of diving into an incredible volunteer opportunity? Get in touch with Niko Kowell at Aquarium of the Bay or Narwhal Divers. 🌊🤿🏳️‍🌈 www.narwhaldivers.com

Thank you, Niko, for reminding us that conservation isn’t just about protecting oceans. It’s also about protecting the opportunity for everyone to experience them. The sea is big enough for all of us—and Ocean Hoptimism is stronger because of voices like yours. 🌊💙

Yet hope was the lasting message. Rather than waiting for the industry to change, Niko became part of that change—a visible reminder that representation matters, safe spaces matter, and the next generation of divers should see themselves reflected in the underwater world.

Niko also spoke candidly about the challenges that remain. Many dive destinations are still not safe for LGBTQ+ travelers, and today’s political climate has made even crossing borders more stressful and uncertain for many queer and trans people.

Making recreational diving more inclusive to trans and queer people is not taking something away from others—it’s making room for more people to belong. The ocean has never cared who you are. Everyone deserves the chance to experience its wonder safely.

Diving has long been viewed as a space dominated by cisgender, white, heterosexual men. Niko reflected on how that culture is beginning to change as the industry recognizes that its future depends on welcoming the full diversity of people who want to explore the sea.

After moving to the Bay Area, Niko fell in love with California’s kelp forests and cold-water diving. That passion became Narwhal Divers: a business creating safe, welcoming dive experiences for LGBTQ+ people and divers with disabilities seeking assisted underwater adventures.

Niko took us from growing up in Ohio to becoming an advocate for queer and trans visibility, working in sexual health, and steadily building a life underwater—from new diver to Divemaster. Those journeys weren’t separate. They shaped one another.