I grew up on the shores where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. As a boy, I snorkeled on both these shores, and was mesmerizes by the reefs and its inhabitants. Observing the gracefulness of yellowtail fish circling me, a sea anemone eating a crayfish, a mother dolphin defend her young from a shark, made my youth colorful and rich. With our education foundation, we want to preserve this and pass it on to others.
The son of a biology teacher, and an avid reader, I learned that 70% of the surface covering of Mother Earth is water. Thus, clean water is the most basic fundamental right of all creatures. Without clean water, all life will perish. Mankind is only one of countless creatures that depend on clean water for survival, but we are also the greatest perpetrator of the destruction to our environment.
My livelihood is derived from the sea. I was a commercial diver, but for numerous reasons, changed my career to that of an adventurer. As a diamond miner underwater, I could not bear to be a part a team that was ripping apart beautiful reefs in search of uncut diamonds, destroying ecosystems. On the oil platforms I was appalled by the callous attitudes of the insensitive individuals who dumped all trash overboard, and by the frequent release of toxins into our environment from the mining processes.
Photo: Neal Petersen
Hence, I chose a way of life where I can help to preserve this environment in which I spend so much of my time. An ancient American Indian proverb states "We did not inherit earth from our ancestors, but have borrowed it from the generations to come". Earth is all we have. If we destroy it, we cannot say "beam me up, Scotty!" There is no Starship Enterprise.
Over the course of 100,000 miles of ocean sailing, I saw more and more pollution. I was appalled by filthy beaches, even on remote islands, damaged coral heads, and seeing creatures play before my bow wave bearing the scars of mankind's non-biodegradable waste.
As a sportsman, I have the opportunity to make a difference. So many young people emulate sportsman, and so much public attention is dedicated to us. By naming my vessel 'Protect our Sealife' for several major international events, I made a public stand: PROTECT OUR SEALIFE. Using my free time, I lectured in schools and colleges, showing my slides of the beauty I have personally experienced, but also enlightening people about the impact our trash has on creatures at sea.
I do not want to sail in filthy waters, nor do you want to live on a planet destroyed by trash. It is the responsibility of each member of this society to keep our environment clean, and hand down a pristine planet to our future generations.
