DAY MOODLEY

Day Moodley is a 22-year-old animator and illustrator merging ecology with visual storytelling. Diagnosed autistic in 2024, she harnesses her neurodivergent bond with water to transform scientific urgency into visceral animations. Using tools like Procreate Dreams, her signature style blends hand-painted textures with immersive perspectives, turning data into emotional journeys.

Day’s art is advocacy in motion. This whale shark project, starring ‘Rin’—created for Justice 4 Jaws, where she serves as Social Media Manager—exemplifies this mission. Inspired by a real juvenile whale shark in Camps Bay, the film centres nature as narrator to humanise marine protection.

Through accessible narratives crafted during her 3-year journey with J4J (from Secretary to Graphic Designer to her current role), Day proves animation isn’t just art—it’s a catalyst for action. To her, MPAs are lifelines: "Ecosystem Emergency Rooms."

Rooted in coastal South Africa and now based in London, she champions a truth forged by childhood voyages with her sailor father and her mother’s marine education work at uShaka Marine World: people protect what they feel.

As an emerging conservation storyteller aiming to become a National Geographic Explorer, Day bridges scientific complexity and public empathy—one frame at a time. Every piece is a love letter to our blue planet.

Check out more of Day's stunning animations and artwork:

🌐 https://selkiescove.carrd.co/

📸 Instagram: @selkies.cove

Unless stated otherwise, all artwork and photos in this article: © Day Moodley

How does the ocean inspire your art?

I grew up in a sunny beach town on South Africa’s East Coast. My art began on voyages with my sailor dad and deepened through my mom’s work as an educational guide at uShaka Marine World. The sea has always informed my art like a bloodline. After my autism diagnosis last year, I understood that rhythmic pull I’ve always felt toward the tides. Today, that connection fuels everything: my illustrations, my stories, and a style now recognised from Cape Town to London.

Do you have a personal or first experience with the ocean that shaped your art?

A few years ago, I transitioned from snorkelling to diving deeper through a Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Fellowship. Where I had once sketched from the surface, I now chase stories beyond where the light refracts at 10 metres.

My art today is moved by my love of freediving Kelp Forest labyrinths and my experiences scuba diving tropical coral reefs. Diving broadened my references, forging my signature style in immersive ecological storytelling.

Tell us about a particular piece of art you created that is inspired by the ocean

For MPA Day, I created ‘Rin’—a 2D animated whale shark inspired by a juvenile who swam into Camps Bay in January 2024. In my Procreate Dreams short film, Rin narrates her own journey: how MPAs protect sharks like her.

Through hand-painted textures and her unique perspective, I translate science into emotional storytelling. This animation aims to communicate science in a meaningful way to an engaged audience supported by Justice 4 Jaw’s platform.

DAY MOODLEY

How does the ocean inspire your art?

Do you have a personal or first experience with the ocean that shaped your art?

Tell us about a particular piece of art you created that is inspired by the ocean

In your opinion, why is it important to protect marine spaces?

What can art bring to the conversation in marine protection?

"Art is the bridge to translate science into human stories. Those connections are relatable to the general public. Art is a universal translator that has the power to move people into change."

DAY MOODLEY

How does the ocean inspire your art?

Do you have a personal or first experience with the ocean that shaped your art?

Tell us about a particular piece of art you created that is inspired by the ocean

In your opinion, why is it important to protect marine spaces?

What can art bring to the conversation in marine protection?

"Art is the bridge to translate science into human stories. Those connections are relatable to the general public. Art is a universal translator that has the power to move people into change."

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