Planet Ocean

"The only way we can guarantee our continued survival on earth is to recognise the importance of other non human life forms and stop pretending we're on top of some pyramid of domination over other beings." - Rod Coronado

 

It is nice to feel humbled by a creature I have no control over, in an environment my species cannot tame, in a society where we determine such creatures' value by the profit they generate dead.

Porcupinefish

Porcupinefish are my favourite reef fish so I thought it was about time I dedicated a blog post to them.

Porcupinefish

Porcupinefish are fishes of the family Diodontidae, also called blowfish, ballonfish and globefish and collectively referred to as pufferfish. They are medium to large sized fish, found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide.

Balloonfish

Porcupinefish have the ability to inflate their bodies by swallowing water or air. They can increase in size almost double which reduces the range of potential predators to those with only much larger mouths. A second defense mechanism is provided by the sharp spines which radiate outwards when the fish is inflated.

Porcupinefish

Some species are poisonous, having a tetrodotoxin in their internal organs. This neurotoxin is at least 1,200 times more potent than cyanide. As a result of these three defenses, porcupinefish have few predators although adults are sometimes preyed upon by sharks and killer whales.

Scuba Diving: A deceptively easy way to die

"Scuba diving is itself a hazardous sport. To do it without any training is tantamount to playing Russian roulette with a loaded revolver." - Robert F. Burgess

As a scuba diving instructor, I spend my days teaching people how not to kill themselves underwater. However, there is only so much information I can provide- what students choose to do with it is unfortunately out of my control. 

Scuba diving is an increasingly popular recreational activity. The majority of new divers get certified so that they can explore the underwater world on their vacations. Although, despite being warned of the risks associated with scuba diving, many just see it as a fun (albeit expensive) new hobby that doesn't require any more thought or planning than a round of golf. This is exactly where problems tend to arise.

In theory; if you follow all the correct procedures, respect the ocean and obey the rules you should never have a problem: I've done over 1,000 dives without incident. However, so many divers don't seem to care about following any kind of rules, even if their lives depend on it, especially when they're on vacation. Perhaps they rationalise to themselves that the rules don't apply to them, or perhaps they did it before and got away with it. But you wouldn't jump out of a plane without checking you had a parachute, yet I see people jump into the water without checking whether their air is turned on every day.

But this isn't the only way accidents happen whilst diving. Of the numerous things that can go wrong, here are just a few:

- Decompression Sickness (the bends) 

- Lung over-expansion injury

- Nitrogen narcosis

- Running out of air

- Oxygen toxicity

- Aquatic life injury

- Equipment problems

- Entanglement

- Entrapment in overhead environments: Caves/wrecks



And all of these can potentially lead to death.


If reading this post scares you, then good. That is my aim. I want to raise awareness of the risks associated with diving to encourage divers to take more responsibility. Hopefully this will then lower the chance of them ever having a problem underwater.

So for those who assume that I have an easy job and my life is one big vacation, think again. Being responsible for people's lives underwater is no picnic, especially when divers pay little respect to the dangers associated with scuba diving.

Are you sitting comfortably? Don't. Life is short

People constantly aspire to have more; to be wealthier, own more possessions and be successful which is crazy when you think that there is someone out there aspiring to just have what you already have. There are always those better off and worse off than you. Remember that.


 I was lucky to have been born in a developed first world country, to have; not just education, food and clean water everyday, but also so many opportunities. I'm far from the wealthiest person I know, but I still have so much, I am extremely fortunate. I don't know why I was born into these circumstances and not different ones, but I do know that I definitely won't take it for granted.





I have been that girl; working two jobs, seven days a week just so i can afford to cover my costs. I was literally working to afford working. However, unlike many of my peers, I now refuse to work a job I don't like- just to make money- to carry on living a life I'm unhappy in.



So people should not aspire to materialistic goals. They should strive to improve themselves in some way; making money doesn't equate to making yourself better. Travelling changed my life. My mindset used to be all about money. It wasn't really MY mindset though, I was just a product of the society I was raised in. Aspiring to make money and orientating everything around that is just what's expected from you and is seen as being sensible and realistic.




I had myself lined up a successful career based on the hard years spent working to get my degree, but then I boarded a plane to travel the world working as a dive instructor instead. I defied the stereotypical expectations people held of me... The best decision I ever made.
I quickly came to realise that making money was most certainly not the most important thing in life, not for me anyway. Now I would gladly live out of a suitcase; sacrificing material possessions for life-altering experiences.








So, don't waste your life aspiring for things that can only be measured in materialistic success because "Life isn't about how many breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away."

Scuba diving Grand Cayman, Caribbean 2015

Ecuador seizes huge illegal shark fin haul

Police in Ecuador have seized around 200,000 sharks fins which were about to be illegally exported to Asia.

The fins - often used to make soup - were discovered after raids on nine locations in the port city of Manta.

Six people, including a Chinese national, have been arrested on charges of damaging wildlife.

Interior Minister Jose Serrano said at least 50,000 sharks had been killed by the traffickers.

He said the authorities had "dealt a major blow to an inaternational network that trafficked shark fins".

"We must end these criminal networks that are only interested in their own economic interests and are destroying the eco-system."

Shark fishing is prohibited in Ecuador and they cannot be sold unless they have been accidentally caught in fishing nets.

Read the full article here