Author, Julia Barnes, diving in the ocean with her camera. Photo courtesy of Julia Barnes.
The ocean is beautiful…
Every time I enter the ocean, it shows me something beautiful and unexpected. I’m looking for sharks, and a fin whale surfaces, breath bursting into fine mist. Sea lion pups encourage me to play, spinning in the water, swimming fast then turning on a dime and blowing bubbles. Floating at the surface, a comb jelly mesmerises me with rainbow bands of bioluminescence. On a dive, I encounter a school of puffer fish who are every bit as curious about me as I am about them. Garden eels emerge from burrows in the sand, rising and bobbing with smooth movements. A sea turtle, old and wise, gracefully surfaces for a breath of air.
A Nurse Shark. Photo courtesy of Julia Barnes.
The ocean is magic…
An ocean coastline. Photo courtesy of Julia Barnes.
It holds most of the planet’s biodiversity. It cover’s 70% of the planet’s surface. It regulates Earth’s climate and the circulation of nutrients. It produces two thirds of the oxygen in our atmosphere. The ocean is what makes life on Earth possible.
June 8 is World Ocean Day. It’s about understanding our connection to the ocean, celebrating its wondrousness, and most importantly, recognizing the imperative to protect it.
The combined effects of industrial fishing, pollution, ocean acidification, eutrophication, habitat destruction, and ocean warming, have created the conditions for a mass extinction in the ocean. We have already seen a dramatic diminishment in ocean wildlife populations, and the problems facing the world ocean are accelerating, with new threats like deep sea mining and industrial energy development stacking up on top of currently existing problems.
It was a concern for the ocean and a desire to bring these important issues to the forefront of people’s attention that motivated me to create my feature documentary Sea of Life. The film takes a big-picture perspective, analysing key threats to the ocean. It also focusses on the unique beauty of the sea, with many sequences showing pristine ecosystems, majestic animals, and symbiotic relationships. More than anything else, I wanted to make people fall in love with life beneath the waves, because it is love that drives people to protect the ocean.
A Manta Ray. Photo courtesy of Julia Barnes.
The ocean is life!
This World Ocean Day, I hope that more people will fall in love with the ocean by watching documentaries like Sharkwater, Revolution, or Sea of Life.
Julia diving alongside a Blue Shark. Photo courtesy of Julia Barnes.
Take a breath and remember that most of the oxygen nourishing you comes from the sea. We are all connected to the ocean.
We are all sea creatures, and we have a responsibility to defend our home, this amazing life-giving force we call “Ocean”.
If you’re feeling inspired to take action for the ocean, please visit https://worldoceanday.org/12-months-of-action/.