In memory of Rob Stewart

I wrote the post below a few days after Rob Steward passed away peacefully below the ocean waves. He was someone I had always wanted to meet and someone who had a serious impact on my life as his documentary made me realise many things about the marine world and human civilisation but I think the most important thing was that he never gave up hope and in his book and other documentaries he truly believed that we as humans could and would change for the better of our world. His optimism was amazing considering what he faced documenting the slaughter of his favourite animal, but he never wavered he was beyond brave and now its up to us to continue his legacy and making sure that marine animals voices are heard no matter what.

Here is the post:

"My favourite conservationist and idol was found peacefully at the bottom of the ocean on Friday after more than 50 hours of searching. 

He was in the middle of making his second film Sharkwater: Extinction. To me, Rob Stewart was someone I aspired to be like, his first film Sharkwater (exposing the shark finning industry) was the first film I watched when it dawned on me that I wanted to be a marine biologist so I could study and save sharks. From then on my world became shark focused and I would wake up with a renewed passion to save and learn more about these beautiful creatures. 

His death is a great loss to the world of conservation and we must now fulfil what he was unable to do and bring awareness of the underwater world filled with magic and wonder. We must realise that without the oceans our planet will not survive. Without Rob Stewart’s film I may not have realised my passion and for that I am forever grateful. 

He took chances and now it’s up to us to keep on taking chances in this uncertain world and use our voices for those who are misunderstood.

Rest easy, ocean warrior."

People Climate March!!!

SO…. I though because its a new school year and there are many things during the summer that I     would love to talk about i decided I would start with an event that happened quite recently and then go onto what happened in the summer and how my ideas of the world around me have changed.

The People Climate March - 21st of September 2014 London, England.

Woke up and was sitting down at the breakfast table with my mother when she tells me that she is going to the climate march and therefore it would be good that I as a younger generation support what is happening in todays world that I feel passionate about.
Out we went on the tube to Temple with my dog and we arrived in a crowd of signs, horns and people smiling at each other, talking to each other without normal social boundaries. It was incredible sight to be greeted by as exiting the tube.

We stood with my dog and my family and friends waiting for the march to start, I wiggled through the thronging crowd and managed to obtain a "for the love of…" signs, I wrote in "oceans" because I really believe that without the oceans and the species within the ocean the world would not survive.
Finally the march started and the smiling and laughing continued as the thousands of feet marched through the streets of London.

People chatted with each other, strangers turned into friends through their combined love of the environment and making the climates voice heard!

As they say words speak louder then words:

Different views

I absolutely love sharks, the way they move, and the way they gaze at you, seeing you for who you are. Being around sharks makes me remember that humans are animals and without them we are simply clusters of stardust in the ever-growing universe.

I go to a school filled with amazing people. Atlantic college, which is a united world college, brings students from all over the world to work in one campus and to share their views and ideas to other cultures. Talking to people here about animals and the way they are seen is incredibly gratifying but also a wake up call. People are genuinely not aware of the cruel fate happens to sharks everyday, let alone the thousands of other animals falling under humans continuous need to control and consume.

I have talked to many Chinese and Asian teenagers about the issues of shark finning and also other topics such as whaling in Japan. Most of them either don’t understand why I am so concerned that sharks are killed in this way or didn’t realize that it was happening. They just saw the soup as a good thing as it showed status. Or they ate the whale meat because it was compulsory to eat it at school. The few that did know about the cruelty behind the slaughter of these marine creatures didn’t think it was right and stopped consuming it or they would say it was disrespectful not to eat it, as both countries are very much about respect, especially to your elders.

Maybe people are just too different to come to together to make a change? I think that anyone who says that humans cant find harmony and understanding are crazy, being surrounded by so many different views has made me realize that harmony can be reached. Yes, some days it is tested and arguments can be had but not a day goes by at my school where I don’t see something that makes me smile. Being here has made me realize that I can’t just give up on humanity; I can’t let myself believe that the world would be a better place without us. We may not be the healthiest species for the planet but we deserve to be on this planet, to make a difference. 

What we have to realise is that the hardest step is deciding to make a difference and then making it happen.

Shark finning in Cayman islands

Although i live in London and was born in Costa Rica I still call Cayman my home as it was were I grew up the most.
But I am ashamed that Cayman which is quite forward thinking would bring shark finning to it's shores.
Although it isn't incredibly recent, as evidence of shark finning has been found in cayman before, it has now raised the notice of researchers assessing the shark populations in the Caribbean.
I just cant believe I am writing this, I have dived with the Cayman sharks and it really didn't seem a very big issue if at all an issue.
The only good thing that this has brought it now more people in the islands are aware of the plight of the sharks, hopefully this will encourage the ban of shark finning rather then encourage people to fin.

Here is the link to the news page in the CaymanCompass:

http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2013/07/17/Fishing-threat-to-Cayman-s-sharks/

Toronto

Just thought I would give a brief update regarding shark fins in Toronto, they are not illegal although they have almost been and so they are quite a touchy subject.
Therefore when I went to have chinese food in china town I was surprised by the shark fin soup on the menu. My friend who is Chinese asked the waiter where they get there shark fin soup and if its real. He pointed across the street and said "market".
Which means they still are selling them openly.
We tried to find the market but nobody we asked seemed to know where it is or gave us brief directions down the road.
We decided to head home rather then be glared at for asking or get caught somewhere when the rain came.
It saddens me that even in a place where so much pressure and education was focused on the ban of shark finning has shark fins.

Shark facts

Some random facts about sharks:

-There are over 350 species of sharks, many are yet to be discovered

- sharks don't need to eat very much as they use very little energy to swim, and with a large meal they can store some of it before it is digested an not have to eat another meal for approximately 3 months

- sharks are at the top of the food chain, as are humans.

- Sharks don't sleep they rest, lots of research is continuing in this area and the sleep patterns of sharks is not known.

- Sharks have been in the sea for longer the 450 million years, long before the dinosaurs roamed the earth.

- Sharks never get cancer due to something in their cartilage, which is being studied to try to find a treatment drug for cancer.

- Sharks attack men more then women

- 90% of shark attacks are not fatal

- More people die from vending machines falling on them and be stings then shark attacks.

- Sharks must keep swimming to stay afloat in the water.

There are many many more incredible facts about sharks :) when I find some more I will write them up :)

Law in Mexico

This is the law in Mexico off the shark savers website.