This week’s Community Breakfast at Republikken was a deep dive, literally, into the life of Mikkel, our coworker with a not so average CV. Before office life and Copenhagen mornings, he spent nearly 20 years exploring the coral covered floors of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines as a scuba instructor and underwater videographer.
What do whale sharks, hammerheads, and graffiti backpacks have in common?
Answer: Mikkel.
Life Aquatic in the Early Years
Mikkel’s dive career began with an internship in Indonesia and led to over 3,000 dives in some of the world’s most remote and pristine reefs. As a proclaimed “fish finder,” his role was part guide, part marine magician, pointing out everything from elusive nudibranchs (yes, that’s a real word) to swirling walls of hammerhead sharks.
His passion was clear: “Sharks are misunderstood. You should feel lucky to see one,” he told us. And lucky he was, witnessing rare species like thresher sharks and even being circled by a 12 meter whale shark once. No big deal.
Coral, Controversy, and Conservation
It wasn’t all perfect, though. Mikkel shed light on coral bleaching, bomb fishing, and unethical netting. One story even involved a corrupt general trapping sea creatures for sport. (Yeah, we gasped too.) His stories were a thrilling reminder of how fragile and interconnected our oceans really are.
From Fish Finder to Creative Mind
Today, Mikkel is still finding beauty, but this time above sea level. He paints graffiti on backpacks, helps out in the office, and plays music whenever he can.
“I dream of diving almost every night,” he said. Honestly, we’re dreaming of it now too.
Welcome back to land, Mikkel. We’re glad Republikken is your new reef in the world of new adventures.