Once upon a time The Ocean was a wet and mysterious place.  Man stayed out, (or on top) and fish stayed in, for the most part, except for very special places where the water and the land met, and some people had the privilege of fishing for their food. And people believed in mermaids and krakens that they had never seen before.

Very slowly, we learned that there was a whole world under water, and creatures unknown and amazing.  And people told stories, but there was no way to widely share and show what was there, and very limited ways for limited people to experience it.

And we loved it because we didn’t know it, and it showed us something huge and powerful and beautiful.

Slowly, slowly, slowly the fire spread, and Pandora’s box opened.  One man went under and stayed under, and then another and another and another.  Men decided to conquer this world as they had conquered every other world they had found, and make it their own, and the creatures they found were at their mercy.  And more people thirsted for the knowledge, but they feared it too. And the fear was dangerous.

Man became cocky, taking more than was needed, and killing large animals for the sake of the hunt and not for the sake of survival.  And The Ocean suffered, and man was so far removed from the womb of the water that they didn’t notice they were suffering too.

And quickly, quickly, quickly, our worlds came to collide and caused friction and death and fear, but also delight and pleasure.  For we could tell stories we knew were true, and sounded amazing. And we took the creatures out of the sea, and brought them to our homes to live, and showed our friends, and loved them. But we killed them too, for food, for pleasure, for fear, by accident, and sometimes for no reason at all.  While their world was receding, our world was expanding, leaving slithering track marks of plastic and oil and solid waste.  And we drilled holes in the bottom and blamed each other when there was no accountability.  And the mermaids and krakens were gone, but so were the fish we liked to eat, and the sharks, and the seals and the clear water and the endless possibility.

And man suffered, and the ocean suffered too, for the damage done was irreversible.  But hope was not gone, because, just as many, many, many years ago, man emerged from the water to walk on the land, man emerged from the water again with tales of beautiful mysteries, and creatures unseen, and plans for protection, and an understanding of the power one predator can have on an entire world.

And we loved it, because it still showed us something huge, and powerful and beautiful, and we knew it.

So we hoped, and we picked up the pieces, and we told stories again, of love and The Ocean, and man began to spread the fire of knowledge and protection, and action.

We must not let our cocky ways destroy another world. Pick up your trash, make decisions with conservation and protection in mind, and always, always be mindful of the ripple effect our actions have on the beautiful ocean world.

Spread Hope.

As usual, photos compliment of Mario Chow Photography. Gracias a Mario.