Marine Life & Conservation
The Dolphin’s Cry
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/dolphins-cry-1.jpg)
Sometimes, the sound of dolphin cries wakes me in the night. That sound haunts me, and I have no doubt that it will remain with me until my dying day. But remaining with it is the knowledge that I diplomatically worked with, and lived amongst, local villagers in a foreign land to educate and potentially stop those dolphin cries.
I don’t remember the first time I saw the Academy Award winning documentary, The Cove, or the first time I heard of the annual dolphin slaughter that happens in that natural finger of water along the Japanese coastline. It seems to have simply always been known to me; to have always been a part of my soul. But I never thought that I would go there; never thought I would witness the slaughter with my own eyes or hear the dolphin cries with my own ears. Yet in November 2010, I found myself standing on the rocky shore of the Cove in Taiji, Japan, gazing out over the water of that small bay, watching dolphins thrash in utter panic and then float still as their blood colored the Cove red.
My Call-to-Action came when the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society asked me to serve as their Cove Guardian Campaign Leader on the ground at the Cove in Taiji, Japan. My initial response was to turn down this offer because I was set in my life in Seattle, Washington State. I didn’t think it was a possibility for me to leave my full-time photography career, my husband, our animals and our life in general in order to spend four months in Asia. But I longed to accept this offer, to board a plane to Japan, to stand up for my beliefs, to live my passion for active marine conservation. It broke my heart to turn my back on my dream when it was finally being presented to me.
Life continued on as usual and each time I punched the time clock like a drone, the light in my soul was extinguished a bit more. It finally took some words of wisdom from a friend and co-worker to make me fully comprehend what I had just turned down. It’s not often, it’s extremely rare actually, that we get the chance to become what we have always dreamed of becoming. This was my chance. I accepted Sea Shepherd’s offer and found myself jobless, husbandless and on a plane destined for a country I had never thought twice about until that very moment. I was going to live in Japan for four months. I was going to work at the infamous Cove where I would actively participate in marine conservation. I had been chasing this dream since I was a tiny child and announced to my second grade teacher that I was going to save every dolphin and whale in the ocean, and here I was flying toward that dream. I suppose I should have been terrified, and while I was nervous and apprehensive, never once was I scared because I knew that this was what I was born for. I had no doubt then, and no doubt now, that I made the right decision when I left my ‘American Dream’ behind and ran, with my flags unfurled, toward my destiny.
Arriving in Japan was surreal and being at the Cove was something that words can never define. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by like-minded individuals who completely understood, admired and respected my decision to radically change my life in order to come watch dolphins die. But it was so much more than that; each and every one of us was standing, conscious and present, bearing witness to the tragedy that takes place in that beautiful corner of the earth, so that we could serve as the voice of the voiceless; a conduit so the world could hear the dolphin’s cry. We were the only hope those sentient beings had for raising awareness towards the heartbreaking slaughter. Every September through March, volunteers flock to the Cove in the hopes of spreading the word and making a difference.
Since my departure from Japan in early 2011, I’ve joined Ric O’Barry and his organization, Save Japan Dolphins, and have founded my own group, Blue Ocean Foundation. Both of these groups put heavy stock into the education aspect of conservation and take a diplomatic approach to their presence at the Cove. Working with the local people, including the men who hunt the dolphins, is a major focus of time spent in Japan. In addition, speaking to schools in the Seattle area and hosting education-awareness events has become a way for me to spread the word during my time at home.
The Cove forever changed me. I sacrificed a great deal in order to pursue my passions, but I gained so much more and never once have I regretted the choice I made to stand on that beach. The slaughter is harrowing, haunting, disturbing, disgraceful and horribly, horribly tragic, but I, and the vast majority of people who have stood vigil at the Cove as well, feel that it would be even more tragic for those dolphins to die alone, with no one to remember them and no one to spread the word about their deaths.
Life is too precious to live the way someone else says you should. Never, ever be afraid to follow your dreams, to stand up for what you believe in and to be your true self.
Spread the word. Raise awareness. Speak out.
For more information about the Cove, watch the Academy Award winning documentary of the same title. You can also visit the websites for Save Japan Dolphins and Blue Ocean Foundation.
Blue Ocean Foundation: http://blueoceanfoundation.blogspot.com/
Save Japan Dolphins: http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
Marine Life & Conservation
Reef-World launch new toolkit in response to the current global coral bleaching event
![coral bleaching](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/GF-Global-Coral-Bleaching-Toolkit.png)
The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has launched a new coral bleaching toolkit in response to the 4th global coral bleaching event confirmed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) in April 2024.
The Green Fins Global Coral Bleaching Response Toolkit provides guidance to the marine tourism industry on how they can help manage and monitor the impacts of coral bleaching and get involved in recovery efforts. It features information about coral bleaching, including the causes, impacts and response strategies. The toolkit is compiled from a variety of readily available resources from multiple organizations and initiatives, such as ICRI, Coral Reef Alliance, Reef Check and NOAA, along with Green Fins materials, to ensure it is accessible to everyone. These resources cover methods for reducing local impacts, monitoring the reefs and engaging tourists and local communities.
The El Niño phenomenon has been present since February 2023, which has led to persistently warmer temperatures being experienced around the world and has affected the sea surface temperatures. Coral bleaching has been recorded in all ocean regions ever since. While this event is widespread and serious, there is still hope as bleached corals are not dead corals. Corals can survive bleaching events and thrive if they are given the time to adapt to the changing climate.
“Coral reefs are under a huge amount of stress every day and that reduces their chance of recovery from bleaching events,” said Chloe Harvey, Executive Director at The Reef-World Foundation. “However, this time around the scientists have been watching the data closely, so we’re prepared. We understand what it means and we know what we need to do to respond to it. This global event calls for global action to protect these vital ecosystems for generations to come.”
By equipping the industry with the necessary knowledge and tools, Reef-World hopes to empower these key stakeholders to play a crucial role in preserving the health and resilience of our precious coral reef ecosystems. Reef-World believes that with the right resources, the marine tourism industry can be a driving force in the fight against coral bleaching and contribute significantly to the long-term sustainability of marine environments.
With this momentum, other key players in the industry, such as PADI AWARE Foundation and NOAA, have gotten on board the campaign for more citizen scientists to help out in monitoring coral bleaching. With the toolkit available to all, The Reef-World Foundation is looking forward to more collaborative actions in the industry.
Explore the toolkit on Green Fins’ website: greenfins.net/coral-bleaching
Marine Life & Conservation
The Ocean Cleanup making San Francisco port call in September
![the ocean cleanup](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-1.jpg)
A real solution for an environmental catastrophe is in reach
Six years after setting sail for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), we have developed the cleanup technology to relegate the patch to the history books.
On 6 September 2024, The Ocean Cleanup will return to San Francisco, where founder and CEO Boyan Slat will provide an update in which he will announce what is needed in terms of time, money and efforts to eradicate the GPGP.
To confirm your presence, please RSVP to press@theoceancleanup.com
PROGRAM
- Press conference: CEO and founder Boyan Slat will announce the next phase of the cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
- Interviews: opportunities to interview Boyan Slat (CEO & founder), Joël Jansen (Director of Oceans), Arjen Tjallema (Director of Technology) and Matthias Egger (Director of Environmental and Social Affairs)
- Vessels & technology: visit our two iconic ships, take a look at extraction System 03 and see the extracted plastic up-close and personal*
*Limited availability; RSVP soon to press@theoceancleanup.com
PRACTICALITIES
Date: September 6, 2024
Press conference: 12 pm (noon) / doors open 11.30 am
Location: The Exploratorium (Google Maps)
Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street), San Francisco, CA
Parking: Visit The Exploratorium’s website for details
RSVP: press@theoceancleanup.com
Press kit: a press kit will be shared afterwards
To find out more about the Ocean Cleanup, visit www.theoceancleanup.com.
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