This paper is concerned with emotions in marine governance. Governance studies are currently undergoing a ‘reflexive turn’ that focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘who’ of processes and practices of governing. It is also important to ask ‘why’ modes of governing emerge as they do. Drawing on feminist theories, this paper explores the ways that societal constructions of emotions, as well as the subjectivity of emotions, suffuse decision-making. Drawing in depth on the concerns driving the development of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1986), and the roles of Arvid Pardo and Elisabeth Mann Borgese in its development, this paper shows how a global-level governance outcome was simultaneously a deeply embodied one, where emotional work, structured by socialised norms, identities, values and opinions, shaped governance. It addresses why this governance tool emerged in a specific form, and how the factors shaping it persist in ocean management today. To conclude, the paper hints towards other examples that might benefit from the reflexive approach developed while also contending that recognising the role of emotions is a useful addition to studies of marine governance, leading to more care-full, reflexive, and resilient forms of governance in the face of uncertainty.