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“People ask: Why should I care about the ocean? Because the ocean is the cornerstone of earth’s life support system, it shapes climate and weather. It holds most of life on earth. 97% of earth’s water is there. It’s the blue heart of the planet — we should take care of our heart. It’s what makes life possible for us. We still have a really good chance to make things better than they are. They won’t get better unless we take the action and inspire others to do the same thing. No one is without power. Everybody has the capacity to do something.” ― Sylvia A. Earle
I come from the land of India and culture where from childhood stories are told based on the Ocean God, Rain God, Sun God, Bird God, Snake God, Tree God, and Elephant God. I think you got it. For all things in nature we have a God. Even we have a sky God. By now I understood more than ever that why all things in nature are attached to God.
Addressing something’s as “God” means that something has a higher value than us. If something has a higher value than ourselves means we naturally give respect. If we are respecting something means we don’t destroy it because it has a value attached to it.
“Knowing is the key to caring, and with caring there is hope that people will be motivated to take positive actions. They might not care even if they know, but they can’t care if they are unaware.”
― Sylvia A. Earle
Ocean Goddess
Ocean Goddess
All alone I was swimming in the deep down cobalt blue Ocean
Inside the blue Ocean surrounded by this blueness, my eyes were
Enjoying Ocean’s enticing colorful flora and fauna around
All the fauna was roving here and there with ravishing freedom
Minding their own minds, wandering here and there strolling
Some strategically, some with brisk, some sluggishly slogging
Even I was wandering here and there, wondering the beauty
I felt I was floating in total freedom like a nomadic under the ocean
As I was diving more deep down into the ocean depths
I saw a ray of light flashing, guiding me deeper and deeper
Into bottom of the oceans, and in a mesmeric spell of trance
Without a thought in my mind, I followed the light mindlessly
All of a sudden, I could not see the guiding light anymore
It was pitch ground dark blue deep down the ocean
Holding my breath, pounding in the deep dusky dim Ocean
As soon as possible I wanted to reach the top of the ocean,
As I turned shoving, my eyes met with a sudden flash
In that darkness, for a second, I closed my eyes
There was something strikingly glittering, I could not resist
I dived towards it, held it in my tightly clutched palm
Propelled back with jet speed reaching the top of the ocean,
Gasping to breath walked towards the sandy shoreline
The sun was outstandingly shining radiantly
The sky was perfectly painted with orange blue and white
As I sat there at the edge of the blue sandy seashore
I could see the waves wavering, as wind was blowing
As the ocean roaring sound was ringing in my ears
In my palm, there was this blue scintillating sea pearl
It was dazzling even more due to the rays, amused
That was exceptionally exquisite unique sol blue in color
I was amazed by this glittering gorgeous beautiful blue pearl
As I looked at the infinite unbounded abundant blue ocean
I was thoughtlessly immersed in my own thoughts,
May be this beautiful blue pearl is a gift from the cosmos
Given to me through the Ocean of the Ocean Goddess
I held my two palms together and bowed to the Ocean
As I walked I held my precious blue pearl closer to my heart
Thanking the cosmos for giving me such a magnificent gift
–Suparna
Who is Sylvia A. Earle?
Sylvia Alice Earle was the first female chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
She is an American renowned marine biologist, explorer, earth activist, author and lecturer. Her main emphasis is on saving and restoring the oceans that is key to the safeguarding all life on earth.
She is the most celebrated ocean researcher and worldwide Ambassador for the Oceans advocacy. Sylvia has spent almost 7000 hours underwater and led more than 100 ocean expeditions.
She is the first person to walk untethered at the lowest depth ever-1, 250 feet.
Sylvia currently has 180 publications and holds 22 honorary degrees on her work on Oceanography.
She is sometimes called “Her Deepness” or “The Sturgeon General”
Sylvia Earle is also TIME magazine’s first “Hero for the Planet” and National Geographic’s first Explorer in Residence.
I highly recommend watching this video (18:16 minutes) to know the astounding statistics about marine biome where Sylvia Earle shares on TED Prize wish: in protecting the vital blue heart of the planet.
Sylvia Earle: How to protect the oceans (TED Prize winner!) - YouTube
Sylvia A. Earle 8 quotes from the book The world is blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean’s Are One.
I think of the ocean as the blue heart of the planet. –Sylvia A. Earle
“One kind of blue-green bacteria, Prochlorococcus, is so abundant—about 100 octillion (1 octillion = 1027) are alive at any given moment—that it alone is responsible for about 20 percent of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Put another way, this nearly invisible form of life generates the oxygen in one of every five breaths you take, no matter where on the planet you live.”
― Sylvia A. Earle
“A report from the National Academy of Sciences published five years later reported that over 6 billion kilograms (14 billion pounds) of garbage were deliberately dumped into the sea every year.”
― Sylvia A. Earle
“But water alone does not generate oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, or yield the simple sugars that are the basis of food production powering most of life on Earth. By itself, water does not produce the dimethyl sulfide molecules around which water gathers to form vapor that becomes clouds that in turn become rain, sleet, and snow. Microscopic photosynthetic organisms in the sea do all of these things and much more.” ― Sylvia A. Earle
“Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea. Early”
― Sylvia A. Earle
“Our near and distant predecessors might be forgiven for exterminating the last woolly mammoth, the ultimate dodo, the final sea cow, and the last living monk seal for lack of understanding the consequences of their actions. But who will forgive us if we fail to learn from past and present experiences, to forge new values, new relationships, a new level of respect for the natural systems that keep us alive?”
― Sylvia A. Earle
“So, should we race to see how quickly we can consume the last tuna, swordfish, and grouper? Or race to see what can be done to protect what remains? For now, there is still a choice.” ― Sylvia A. Earle
“The bottom line answer to the question about why a biodiversity matter is fairly simple: The rest of the living world can get along without us, but we can’t get along without them.”
― Sylvia A. Earle
A nice tribute to the ocean. Hats off to Sylvia Earle for her interest in conserving the oceans..
The poem is a well written piece full of love for the ocean God and a magnificent adventure with a beautiful reward from the ocean. Very good
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Thank you Sarla. I am glad that you liked the poem on Ocean Goddess.
You are very much right that we need to salute Sylvia Earle for her deep love for Ocean and also on her seriousness in conservation towards Ocean’s.