This is Joshua’s first article with Awesome Ocean. Joshua is a third generation animal professional and ocean enthusiast. Having worked with a variety of species and conservation projects, Josh brings an in-depth and personal look into our oceans, animal welfare, and today’s global conservation issues.
For as long as humans have been on this big blue planet, we have heavily relied on the ocean for the survival of our own species. It has been a source of food, a means of transportation, and even scientists agree that 50 to 85 percent of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes from the phytoplankton in the ocean.
For many of us the ocean is something far more than this. It transcends science into something very personal, something very spiritual. The ocean is a way of thinking. It teaches us and it shows us how to live our lives. Arthur C. Clark, a British Science writer and ocean explorer, once said, “How inappropriate to call this planet earth when it is clearly ocean.”
When I talk about the ocean I assume a lot of people must think “this guy is nuts,” and they’re absolutely right! I’m CRAZY for the ocean! The ocean is in us (literally) because we are composed of mostly water. It’s only natural that we have this connection to the ocean, this bridge that connects us to the waters, the creatures, and the power it holds.
Looking back, I was so nervous that morning. I stood in awe behind a thick wall of glass, gazing patiently as I waited for a glimpse of something to disturb the endless blue before me. I reached out to feel the barrier in front of me. Cold. Wet. Small drops of salty clear water dripped from the top and stuck to my fingers like little messages, begging me to dive in and explore its depths.
I made my way up to the surface led by a man in a black and red jacket. He had funny boots on and a big bucket held some of the worst scents a little boy could imagine!
“Hi I’m Robin,” he said with a smile as he sternly shook my hand. His hands were quite cold too, and wet, but a different type of wet. A sticky wet. A fishy wet.
“Go ahead and kneel down with me, you’re going to meet a dear friend of mine named Corky. Are you excited?” he asked me.
I didn’t answer. I was excited. In fact, I was so excited I don’t think my brain quite knew how to process my emotions into words. It was a feeling that words couldn’t do justice. It felt… spiritual. Almost magical.
And then something in that vast blue in front of me changed. A speck of black in the distance began to make its way closer, growing larger until it broke the surface with a burst of mist and a loud exhale from its powerful lungs.
Corky gently rested her head in front of me. She made eye contact with me and I knew in that moment I was on “the bridge”. I had made the connection between human and ocean species. It’s something that once again, words cannot describe.
There are defining moments in our lives when we are changed forever. We make a decision or belief about ourselves and our purpose on this planet and its scribed into the being of who we are. That moment defined my future and purpose on this planet.
It wasn’t until six years later that I got the opportunity to stand on that bridge once again. I was led up to a big blue pool as I was once before, but this time something was different. I was asked to step off of the ledge and make my way to the middle of the pool. Excitement consumed me. I patiently waited for my new friend to greet me.
Honestly, most of this memory is sadly blurred as the combination of fear, excitement and spirituality consumed my entire being. What I do remember is gracefully dancing with a false killer whale for the first and only time in my life. I trusted a beautiful and powerful creature to gently spin me around in its world. It was a connection I would never forget.
A passion to preserve these animals’ wild home was at the foundation of everything I was taught. Every trainer, vet and teacher taught me that it was MY responsibility to care for these animals. I knew then that not only did I want to do everything I could to preserve our ocean, but I wanted to work directly with these animals when I grew up. I worked very hard to get that chance.
Every science project, volunteer opportunity, summer camp, or school essay had to do with the ocean. These magical interactions when I was young allowed me to reach out and stand on that bridge between species. It was because of this that I wanted to save our planet from destruction, save our oceans from pollution and save marine animals from extinction.
Today I can proudly say I am doing this in a variety of ways. Simply recycling every day, eating from sustainable fish sources, or conserving water can have a profound effect over time and are things that we need to be teaching the next generation of humans.
Every day we add 227,000 humans to this planet.
Every day DOZENS of wildlife species go EXTINCT!
It seems we have lost that “bridge”. We have lost sight of our connection to the vast and powerful ocean.
It is our job to rebuild that bridge. Zoological facilities, conservation companies, and scientists are asking for our help, our patronage, and our time. They are our bridge to the ocean. Far too many people today criminalize these parties for ocean illnesses when they are trying to save this planet. Every day animals are being cared for, rescued, and released back into our oceans. Every day more and more people are being educated on our responsibility to our oceans and our planet. The bridge is slowly being rebuilt.
It takes work! And it takes each and every one of us! It takes YOU!
Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.
-Joshua S.