An Early Morning Dip: Fish, Food, & Fun with Our New Board Members
Our girl, Corrina, being one with the fishes.
Normally, when my alarm goes off I feel disappointed - but this morning I immediately feel exhilarated and I’m smiling as I climb out of bed. It’s 5 am on Saturday morning and today’s mission is to go snorkeling at sunrise. Corrina lives on the north side of the island so she crashed at my apartment last night. Within 15 minutes of waking up, we are walking to her car with coffees in hand.
We arrive at a gravel parking lot on the side of the highway at the same time as Brittany and our excitement has only grown. We don’t even break our strides when we hit the beach and within seconds Corrina is a few hundred meters in the ocean swimming in circles like a fish. Brittany and I enter the water more slowly. We gasp as the cold water hits our toes and we shudder complaints as it reaches our belly buttons. We’re questioning our sanity as we slowly wade in deeper until eventually the water covers our heads and silences our screams of complaint. And then we are quiet because we are fine. Actually, we are more than fine, I feel happiness flood my body.
A yellow tang swims by as though it's showing us the way. The sun breaks over the mountains and the coral below us glow brighter. A sea turtle swims below Corrina and then heads towards the surface, taking a breath just a few feet away from me. The sea turtle and I make eye contact and I feel a connection between us. All of us have probably seen a few hundred sea turtles each but swimming next to this one is just as exciting as the first one I met.
After an hour of duck diving and swimming around we are all cold and head back in. Sometimes we sit on the beach and talk story but today all of us have things to do so we head back to our cars. It’s 7:31 am and I feel inspired. I’ve already accomplished something for my soul and it’s a great way to set up my day.
All of us could talk for hours and give hundreds of scientific facts about why the ocean is important. However, I think the most intriguing reason to conserve and protect our oceans is how they make us feel. This morning I feel exhilarated, happy, connected and inspired.
As we climb into the car, Corrina and I discuss how we feel exactly the same way about joining The Next Swell Team. Being able to direct funds to the next generation of marine biologists so they can explore, learn, study, teach and share their passions without worrying if they can afford to eat, pay for field gear or accept an internship feels as amazing as an early morning snorkel.
Corrina hands me a slice of cold pizza left over from last night’s dinner. As we both take a bite, we notice Brittany looking at us with a mix of disbelief and complete jealousy. I run a slice over to her and her face breaks into a smile. Sharing and enjoying food can also feel as satisfying as exploring nature.
I’m looking forward to our event next Wednesday which combines my passion for eating and helping marine conservation. You can still join us too. Our second virtual sustainable cooking class takes place this Wednesday, May 12th at 7:30 PM EST/1:30 PM HST. With the assistance of our friends at Boston Experiential Group (https://www.bostonexperientialgroup.com/), we will be making delicious crispy avocado tacos with charred serrano crema & pineapple pico de gallo.
The cost of the event is $20.00 and will go towards marine science scholarships. This cost will not include the cost of groceries. If interested in participating please email info@thenextswell.org.
Aloha,
Noël