All posts tagged: force blue

World Oceans Day: Game Changers

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In honour of celebrating World Ocean’s Day (8 June), and this year being designated as the International Year of the Reef, I would like to take this opportunity to recognise some amazing people who are making waves in Ocean Conservation.  These incredible souls are my personal heroes and legends in their own right.  They are ocean conservationists who are indeed game changers.  They are movers and shakers in the world of ocean conservation and are dedicated to creating a positive impact for the betterment of our oceans.  They all share the common goal of protecting and preserving our oceans, marine life and precious coral reef ecosystems. They are all an inspiration.  I am so proud to call these luminaries my friends, it is such a privilege to know them and be inspired by them.  I admire them for all that they do to raise awareness about environmental issues and their ocean conservation efforts.   Ellen Cuylaerts, Underwater and Wildlife Photographer, and Conservationist It is a true honour to know Ellen Cuylaerts.  She has an incredible …

Birthday Wishes, Give With Love, xo

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On 13th October 2013, I started a birthday tradition, whereby I selected a group of charities to raise awareness and funds for.  I asked friends and family to kindly make a donation in lieu of gifts.  In my twenties, I had reached a point in my life where I no longer needed to accumulate more things.  I love presents just as much as anyone, but the truth was I didn’t need them.  I would rather friends and family give what they would have spent on a birthday present to a charity instead.  So, with that in mind, I used my blog as a platform to help raise awareness for the selected charities over the years.  This year, the theme is blue.  It is the commonality between all three charities I would like to highlight this year.  Blue is representative of the ocean, which directly correlates to both Force Blue and Grand Cayman Eco Divers: Coral Nursery Conservation Program.  Having spent nearly my entire life living on an island, I am drawn to the ocean.  I …

FORCE BLUE: A Call of Duty to Heal the Ocean

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I had the honor of meeting U.S RECON Marine Sergeant Rudy Reyes and listening to him share his story about his experience as a former combat diver and now a veteran on a mission to help protect and restore the marine environment. I cannot truly capture in words how profound his story is or the eloquent way he spoke about his life’s journey. Nor, can I begin to fathom the magnitude of the experiences he has been through and endured as a combat diver. All I can humbly offer is that listening to him speak with such humility, eloquence and passion I was incredibly moved by his words and a part of me was changed forever by his heartfelt story. His life’s journey has lead him to a new call of duty, dedicating his life’s work to empowering other Special Ops veterans to join FORCE BLUE’s conservation efforts to help restore critical marine ecosystems around the world. While on his first trip to the Cayman Islands two years ago, diving off the shore of Sunset …

aerial photo cayman islands sunset house

Force Blue: On A Mission To Protect Coral Reefs

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“One Team, One Fight.” Force Blue is an innovative non-profit organization embarking on an unprecedented mission to change the lives of Combat Divers and Special Operations Force Veterans by repurposing their skill set to aid in the recovery and preservation of critical coral reefs.  By virtue, teaching the veterans to adapt their skills for the betterment of the environment acts as a form of therapy and helps to restore the lives of veterans dealing with PTS and depression.  Force Blue has carefully built the program focusing on improving the lives of vets and offering them an opportunity to continue living a life of purpose, giving them a new mission— saving critical coral reefs and ecosystems.  Veterans often struggle with the need to be part of a team and have a mission to accomplish and/or cause to fight for.  Force Blue has devised a way for veterans to maintain that core component of their lives by deploying them all over the world to help communities save their critical coral reefs.  Veterans taking part in the initiative …