Color the Red Sea

🌊 Art, Ocean & Awareness🎨 Mar Rojo – an immersive coloring experience

Some ideas come together in a really natural way and Mar Rojo feels like one of them. It’s not just a coloring book, but a quiet way to connect with the ocean, inspired by the Red Sea in Egypt.

The project was created by two Chilean women (Josefina Olivares & Giulia Marchetti https://www.instagram.com/bluesouls.flow/) who wanted to bring together art and marine knowledge in a simple, accessible format. As you move through the pages, you’ll find detailed illustrations of marine life alongside small pieces of scientific information that give a bit more context to what you’re coloring.

A detail I really like are the QR codes included in the book. When you scan them, you can see real underwater photos from our founder Carlos, as well as other underwater photographers. Those images were the reference for the illustrations, so there’s a direct link between the real ocean and what ends up on the page. The QR codes also give you access to a curated selection of music to accompany the process, making it easier to slow down and get into a creative flow.

It also feels special that Carlutravel can help share this project with more people. Not in a big, loud way – but by offering something simple that might shift how someone sees the ocean. While you’re coloring, you also come across the reality behind these ecosystems, including things like reef fragility and plastic pollution.

Even the history of the SS Thistlegorm shipwreck and the dugong found their way into the book. From small garden eels and nudibranchs to oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks, every detail was included.

The experience is intentionally calm. You can put on some music, take your time, and just focus on colors and shapes. I started with an eagle ray and some corals, and it quickly became less about “finishing a page” and more about enjoying the process.

There’s no right way to do it. It’s just a small moment to slow down, be creative, and maybe think a bit more about what’s happening underwater.

If you pick it up, grab a few colors and see where it takes you.