Tiny sailors in the Caribbean! Meet the extraordinary water babies who have grown up travelling the world in a boat with their ocean-loving parents 

  • Canadian couple Genevieve and Eben Stolz decided to fulfil a dream and sail around the Caribbean
  • When they found out they were expecting a child, they had to decide whether to continue or return home
  • They opted to grow their family in the midst of their adventures and now have two daughters, Aria, 5, and Ellia, 2
  • Their non-stop adventures include snorkelling, kite-boarding, paddling and making friends with dolphins
  • The pair learn as they go and are home-schooled by their mum, who used to be an English teacher 

By Becky Pemberton For Mailonline

Published: 11:37 EST, 14 July 2015 | Updated: 02:13 EST, 15 July 2015

Forget busy school classrooms and long office hours, one family decided to move their daughters' life and education to the ocean.

Canadian couple Genevieve and Eben Stolz were sailing round the Caribbean when they found out that they were expecting a baby.

Faced with the prospect of moving back home to settle down, or continue their sailing dream, the pair bravely decided to grow their family in the midst of their adventures.

Scroll down for video 

Daughters Arias, 5, and Ellia, 3, have become quite the sailors, having spent all their life on their their 41ft Morgan Classic boat

Daughters Arias, 5, and Ellia, 3, have become quite the sailors, having spent all their life on their their 41ft Morgan Classic boat

Canadian couple Genevieve and Eben Stolz were unsure if raising their family on a boat was the right thing to do, but they now feel 'their girls were meant to be raised living a life less ordinary'

Canadian couple Genevieve and Eben Stolz were unsure if raising their family on a boat was the right thing to do, but they now feel 'their girls were meant to be raised living a life less ordinary'

Taking to the ocean like ducks to water, the young pair have had experiences many children would long for

Taking to the ocean like ducks to water, the young pair have had experiences many children would long for

After watching dad, Eden, learn to kiteboarding in the Dominican Republic, Arias has wanted to try, starting out piggy backing for her first ride

After watching dad, Eden, learn to kiteboarding in the Dominican Republic, Arias has wanted to try, starting out piggy backing for her first ride

Their first daughter Aria is now five and has been joined by sister Ellia, three - and they have become quite the sailors, having spent all their life on their 41ft Morgan Classic boat.

Taking to the ocean like ducks to water, the young pair have had experiences many children would long for. 

From playing with marine life such as a stingray in the Bahamas, to snorkelling, kite-boarding and paddling, the water-lovers have enjoyed non-stop adventures with an unbeatable view.  

'Arias is full of energy, and pushes it to the max all day long. Thankfully this five year old that still needs a nap midday, gives mama a break,' writes Genevieve on her blog, itsanecessity. 

'At any point in time Ellia will be trying to wander off to do her own activity or she will be right by your side trying to converse with you like a real grown-up. It is hilarious watching the wheels turn in this little ones head.'

Their stay in the Bahamas was particularly exciting for the family, as they met a lot of other boat families. 

'There is a very tight sailing community there and many of them watched our daughters grow up and have created good bonds with them. The Bahamas is like the retired sailor's paradise!' Genevieve said to MailOnline. 

From playing with marine life such as stingray in the Bahamas, to snorkelling, kite-boarding and paddling the water-lovers have enjoyed non-stop adventures with an unbeatable view

From playing with marine life such as stingray in the Bahamas, to snorkelling, kite-boarding and paddling the water-lovers have enjoyed non-stop adventures with an unbeatable view

The family have managed to tick many bucketlist destinations off their list, from Puerto Rico to the Spanish Virgins

The family have managed to tick many bucketlist destinations off their list, from Puerto Rico to the Spanish Virgins

From befriending stingrays to learning to sail, the girls have had a wealth of life experiences they wouldn't have had if they had stayed back home
From befriending stingrays to learning to sail, the girls have had a wealth of life experiences they wouldn't have had if they had stayed back home

From befriending stingrays to learning to sail, the girls have had a wealth of life experiences they wouldn't have had if they had stayed back home

At one with nature: The girls have learned about many marine creatures and wake up each morning to a beach 

At one with nature: The girls have learned about many marine creatures and wake up each morning to a beach 

The family has managed to tick many bucketlist destinations off, from Puerto Rico to the Spanish Virgins.

At the same time, the girls have been home-schooled along the way, using Genevieve's previous experience as an English school teacher. 

The girls have not only thrived at learning to man the sailing boat, but have also surpassed the level of education expected for their age.

When the pair announced they would be raising their daughters as sailors, their families were less than thrilled. 

'Looking at all the pictures we sent home it was beyond reproach that these girls were meant to be raised living a life less ordinary and they thrive in this environment. They are made to be beach bums,' Genevieve wrote on Boredpanda. 

Their most-asked question is how they fund this extraordinary lifestyle.

The couple initially used money saved from Eben's former thriving sales job.

Despite his success, Eben would often wake in the night suffering from panic attacks and anxiety from the stress.

Deciding they wanted a change of life, the couple sold everything they could and rented out their house in order to buy a worn-down boat that was desperately in need of love and attention. 

The curious young sailors get up close to the fish that stick to the bottom of their 41ft boat

The curious young sailors get up close to the fish that stick to the bottom of their 41ft boat

Best friends: The girls have not only thrived at learning to man the sailing boat, but have also surpassed the level of education expected for their age

Best friends: The girls have not only thrived at learning to man the sailing boat, but have also surpassed the level of education expected for their age

41ft Necesse became their new home, and soon had to house one more, with the birth of Arias. 

After a brief six-month stint back in Canada for the birth of Ellia, the couple had raised more funds for their next sea-faring adventure in the Dominican Republic. 

They decided to sell their house back home to raise even more money, and Eben did some jobs fixing boats for day-to-day cashflow. 

The couple also rely on proceeds from Genevieve's blog, which tells the story of their explorations.  

The girls have been home-schooled along the way, using Genevieve's previous experience as an English school teacher

The girls have been home-schooled along the way, using Genevieve's previous experience as an English school teacher

Water babies! It was important for the family to teach the girls from an early age about safety in the water, and got them sailing right from the start
Water babies! It was important for the family to teach the girls from an early age about safety in the water, and got them sailing right from the start

Making waves: It was important for the family to teach the girls from an early age about safety in the water, and got them sailing right from the start

The couple met back when they were 18, when they were undertaking a Canada World Youth exchange between Northern Quebec and Burkina Faso. 

After the program ended, the pair briefly dated, before heading back to their separate provinces. 

The flame never truly died, and through emails they managed to keep in contact. 

After a brief meet-up they realised they had strong feelings for each other and dated for a year before getting engaged. 

The pair were married in December in 2008 and kick-started their out-of-the-box life together by backpacking around Central America. 

'Boat life has spoiled us. Forget returning to 'normal' life after this. There is no way Eben will ever feel happy working a 9-5 after having spent so many days making his own schedule.

'We have been able to spend 24/7/365 with our daughters, watching them grow up, in some of the most formative years of their lives. 

'We have created relationships with them that I think will stay strong throughout their lives and we have created adventurous souls in both of them,' Genevieve said. 

Encountering dolphins: The aqua babies have befriended many animals along the way and practically grown up in the water

Encountering dolphins: The aqua babies have befriended many animals along the way and practically grown up in the water

Fearless Arias was the youngest participant in her division for a duathalon in the Bahamas, but that didn't put her off... and she won

Fearless Arias was the youngest participant in her division for a duathalon in the Bahamas, but that didn't put her off... and she won

Bonding time: The family have managed to share a lot more quality time together, sailing round the world on their boat

Bonding time: The family have managed to share a lot more quality time together, sailing round the world on their boat

Sea-faring sailors! From a young age the girls have grown up with sand between their toes and a love for the ocean 

Sea-faring sailors! From a young age the girls have grown up with sand between their toes and a love for the ocean 

The couple initially funded their unusual lifestyle by saving money from Eden's thriving sales job
The couple initially funded their unusual lifestyle by saving money from Eden's thriving sales job

The couple initially funded their unusual lifestyle by saving money from Eben's thriving sales job

Deciding they wanted a change of life, the couple sold everything they could and rented out their house, in order to buy a worn-down boat that was desperately in need of love and attention

Deciding they wanted a change of life, the couple sold everything they could and rented out their house, in order to buy a worn-down boat that was desperately in need of love and attention

After a brief six-month stint back in Canada for the birth of Ellia, the couple had raised more funds for their next sea-faring adventure in the Dominican Republic

After a brief six-month stint back in Canada for the birth of Ellia, the couple had raised more funds for their next sea-faring adventure in the Dominican Republic

The couple also rely on proceeds from Genevieve's blog and have even had people donate towards their adventures

The couple also rely on proceeds from Genevieve's blog and have even had people donate towards their adventures

Action girls! From playing with marine life such as stingray in the Bahamas, to snorkelling, kite-boarding and paddling the water-lovers never get bored

Action girls! From playing with marine life such as stingray in the Bahamas, to snorkelling, kite-boarding and paddling the water-lovers never get bored

 

 

 

Comments (206)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now