Ambassadors

Meet the 2026 Ocean Week Canada Ambassadors

Our Ambassadors are storytellers, educators, artists, scientists, athletes, and community leaders who are passionate about connecting people and the ocean. From coast to coast to coast, they help bring Ocean Week Canada to life by sharing their knowledge, creativity, and local perspectives.

Through events, content, and outreach, these ambassadors inspire action and deepen our collective understanding of how the ocean connects us all.

Bob McDonald

Bob McDonald is a science journalist and host of CBC’s Quirks & Quarks, reaching over 800,000 listeners weekly. With over 50 years in science communication, he’s written bestselling books, hosted documentaries, and earned national awards for his work. Bob is an Officer of the Order of Canada, holds 13 honorary doctorates, and even has an asteroid named after him.

Read Bob’s Article “Our Wet Rock”

Jill Heinerth

Jill Heinerth is a pioneering underwater explorer and filmmaker. The first person to dive inside Antarctic icebergs, she uses film and writing to raise awareness about climate change and water conservation. Her books Into the Planet and The Aquanaut have earned praise from Oprah and The New York Times. Through documentaries and TED Talks, Jill inspires people to explore and protect our planet’s water systems.

Instagram: @jillheinerth

Alanna Mitchell

Alanna Mitchell is an award-winning journalist, author, and playwright. Her acclaimed book Seasick: The Global Ocean in Crisis was adapted into a one-woman play, performed globally for over a decade. Through storytelling, Alanna brings complex ocean issues to life with clarity, emotion, and humour, helping audiences connect with science in deeply personal ways.

Bob McDonald

Read Bob’s Article “Our Wet Rock”

Jill Heinerth

Instagram: @jillheinerth

Alanna Mitchell

Tom Cochrane

Tom Cochrane is a director, videographer, and photographer based in Newfoundland and Labrador. Tom loves this place. He has found joy and excitement in capturing rugged coastlines, wild environments, and warm community spirit. His photos have featured in national and international publications, and his film and TV projects have broadcast in Canada and abroad. Tom is happiest on a cliff at sunset. Or on a boat near whales, or an iceberg. Hard to choose.

Instagram: @tomcochrane

Moronke Harris

Moronke Harris is an award-winning deep-sea scientist, communicator, and TEDx speaker. Fascinated by innovation and the blue economy, she has spent 190+ days exploring the depths using submersibles. A recognized young leader in the ocean sector, Moronke serves on several governance boards. As founder of The Imaginative Scientist, she blends science and creativity to engage audiences worldwide. In early 2026, Moronke led a science team on an all-female Antarctic expedition.

Instagram: @imaginativesci

Jill Taylor

Jill Taylor is a puffin researcher, underwater videographer, and host of the science/travel TV show Dive Newfoundland with Jill Taylor. Currently based in Nova Scotia, she studies puffin social behaviour and explores the ocean through diving and storytelling. Jill uses film and communication to connect people to marine life and believes we protect what we care about—and we care about what we know.

Instagram: @_jill_taylor

Tom Cochrane

Instagram: @tomcochrane

Moronke Harris

Instagram: @imaginativesci

Jill Taylor

Instagram: @_jill_taylor

Kendra Nelson

Kendra Nelson is a marine conservationist focused on species recovery and coastal restoration in British Columbia. With a background in biology, she’s worked with sharks, coral, salmon, and killer whales. Passionate about advocacy and ecosystems, Kendra combines fieldwork and outreach to protect ocean life and support healthy coastal communities.

Instagram: @/intertidalkendy

Ashlyn George

Ashlyn George is an award-winning travel writer, author, content creator, and speaker. She’s explored nearly 70 countries across all 7 continents and is based in Saskatoon, SK. An avid outdoor adventurer, Ashlyn shares her passion for hiking, paddling, and backcountry exploring through her blog The Lost Girl’s Guide to Finding the World. With over 100,000 followers, she inspires others to seek adventure — big or small — wherever they are.

Instagram: @thelostgirlsguide

Amanda Round

Amanda Round is a marine conservationist and science communicator passionate about ocean education and accessibility. With experience creating popular engaging content for students and young professionals across Canada, she combines her background in marine conservation with digital storytelling to inspire and inform.