All posts tagged: ocean lover

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Hope On The Horizon: Cayman Islands (Mission Blue Hope Spot)

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Photo Credit: Ellen Cuylaerts I am so excited to announce that today I was published in Mission Blue’s Ocean Stories.  It was such an honor! I am so humbled by this moment.  It was an absolute pleasure to work with Mission Blue and Ellen Cuylaerts.  Thank You Ellen for allowing me to use your spectacular pictures for the article. Recently, the Cayman Islands, George Town Harbor was designated as a new Hope Spot by Mission Blue. To read more about my article please visit Mission Blue’s website, or click here. Content Update: 7th January 2017.  Below is my article in full.  Originally published in Mission Blue’s Ocean Stories.  Photo Credit: Ellen Cuylaerts Recently, the George Town Harbor in the Cayman Islands was named a Mission Blue Hope Spot- one of fourteen newly designated Hope Spots.  This is incredible news for environmentalists both locally and internationally.  A designated Hope Spot is an area considered to be “critical to the health of the ocean”.  These special areas are recognized by Mission Blue and respectively conservationists around the globe as …

Project: Coral Tree Nursery

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“Over the past 30 years, coral reefs have faced major decline.” – Coral Restoration Foundation Some view the coral reefs as the underwater equivalent of a “rainforest” so to speak. Coral reefs serve to keep the balance of the ocean in check, act as both a haven and food source for marine life and a means of coastal protection during hurricanes. Additionally, the immense biodiversity of coral reefs is greatly beneficial to mankind, as it has intrinsic value not only to the environment but for tourism. Cayman’s dive industry recognizes the economic value our coral reefs bring to our islands and are keen to ensure the protection of our coral reefs to continue benefiting not only tourists but locals as well. In order to maintain a thriving economic value from our coral reefs, one must consider that negative environmental impacts can cause the economic value to depreciate. It is vital to maintain healthy coral reefs, not just from an environmental standpoint but also an economic one. Unfortunately, coral reefs are faced by multiple threats such …

Come Dive With Us…

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  Come Dive With Us Cayman Eco Divers is an environmentally responsible dive company. They provide safe diving adventures exploring the spectacular coral reefs and historic shipwreck sites found in the Cayman Islands.  Snorkelers are welcome to join in on the fun too!  The heart of Cayman Eco Divers is to share with locals and tourists alike the beauty of the ocean and life that resides there with an eco-conscious mindset and absolute respect for the ocean. Cayman Eco Divers is committed to both the conservation and preservation of coral reefs, marine life and the environment. Meet Brittany Balli and Aaron Hunt! It has been such a pleasure getting to know Brittany and Aaron, from Cayman Eco Divers. Both have an incredible love and respect for the ocean and marine life. They have an excellent rapport in Cayman’s diving industry, with a vast amount of diving experience.  Aaron is an experienced PADI dive instructor and International Yacht Training Captain who has led thousands of trips to explore Grand Cayman’s reefs.  When touring around Cayman waters …

I (Heart) Sharks

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(Photo Credit: Michael Maes) I (Heart) Sharks! As an ocean lover, I love sharks! Sharks deserve a lot of love. Why? They are amazing and majestic animals. Sharks have inhabited the ocean for more than 400 million years, and they play a key role in maintaining the health of the ocean. Sharks are the apex predators of the ocean, as a result, they are responsible for keeping other marine life in healthy balance and regulate the oceans. The decline in shark populations cause the balance of the eco-system and the balance of the ocean to be seriously upset. Thus, it is imperative that we come together and raise awareness about the importance of sharks and the pivotal role they play in maintaining the eco-system and the health of the ocean. It is vital that we ensure that there are healthy populations of sharks worldwide. Top 5 Reasons To Love Sharks 1. There are more than 500 species of sharks swimming in the ocean. Which one is your favorite? 2. Hammerheads do not lay eggs. A …

Diving Into Ocean Acidification

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June is World Ocean Month. In honor of that, the majority of my blog posts will be focusing on the ocean.  Yesterday, was World Ocean Day, and the theme for this year is, “Healthy Ocean, Healthy Planet” to see my interview on Talk Show, Daybreak 27 discussing World Ocean Day, click here, for the blog post tie-in click here. There is an ongoing fight to keep our the ocean healthy, however, our ocean is not in the best state of health. As a result of climate change, our oceans are slowly becoming acidic.  Currently, the ocean is in serious trouble, and that is a result of ocean acidification. This is a huge problem. Around 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans.  The ocean plays a huge role in our daily lives, the ocean is responsible for producing about 70% of the oxygen we breathe.  Therefore, it is imperative that we do everything possible to keep the ocean healthy.  Reportedly, about “half of man-made CO2 has been absorbed over time by the oceans. This has benefited …

Happy World Environment Day 2014!

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  Happy  World Environment Day!  Help educate your community and raise awareness about global environmental issues as well as ways to help protect the environment. 10 Eco Facts 1. The average person generates over 4 pounds of trash every day and about 1.5 tons of solid waste per year. 2. Over 75% of waste is recyclable, but we only recycle about 30% of it. 3. North Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. 4. We generate 21.5 million tons of food waste each year. If we composted that food, it would reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas as taking 2 million cars off the road. 5. A plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. 6. Fish ingest an estimated 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic per year in the Pacific Ocean. 7. Over 100,000 marine mammals and one million seabirds die each year from ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic. 8. 14 billion pounds of garbage are dumped into the ocean every year. Most of it is plastic. 9. …