June 8th is World Oceans Day. How fantastic is that?
I love the ocean. It’s impossible to live in San Diego and not think about it on a regular basis. I run by it, glide over it in a kayak, fret about great whites coming to eat me in it, and yes, even go in it sometimes. I even got PADI certified in college when I was studying marine biology, but I didn’t keep up with diving because, well, not a lot of good diving in Davis when I got to vet school.
Fear of sharks aside, there is something gloriously compelling about the ocean, this vast and wild body of liquid that wraps around the earth, the idea that you can place something in it in Japan and have it wash up in Portland. Something that hides twinkling beds of seaweed, pods of whales, the Titanic, and those creepy lantern fish. How could something be delicate enough to protect a teeming coral reef yet produce a monster 50 foot wave that pounds the shoreline?
I used to watch Jacques Cousteau movies as a kid, enraptured with this alternate universe here on the same planet. I totally get why James Cameron insisted on diving into the Mariana Trench himself. He gets it. I get it.
My dog gets it. Many dogs do.
Like many things on the planet, the ocean is this amazingly complex and important series of ecosystems that we may or may not be royally screwing up. Part of the goal of World Oceans Day is to bring awareness to the importance of maintaining the health of the world’s oceans so our children, and their dogs, will have a healthy planet to enjoy.
World Oceans Day couldn’t have come at a better time. I will be spending the morning at the Purina Incredible Dog Surf Challenge– hopefully all will be quiet on the veterinary front so I’ll have the chance to get some pictures with the amazing surf dogs and contemplating the beauty of the Pacific Ocean! I’ll also be wearing blue in honor of the day. Keep an eye out on Twitter for pics of the surf dogs!
The World Oceans Day website has links to events all over the world that are taking place today and Saturday- beach cleanups, aquarium events, all sorts of fun stuff. Anyone have a great way to celebrate or a resource celebrating the ocean they would like to share? I’m all ears. Surf’s up!
Hi Dr. V…. Living on the ocean in Florida, we celebrated World Ocean Day last evening by going for a “turtle walk” through our neighbors, the Florida Oceanographic Institute
http://www.floridaocean.org/p/2/home .. It was a FABULOUS evening of both eye opening turtle education and then the “walk”. Experienced “turtle scouts” located a green turtle ready to lay eggs, which we were lucky enough to witness. Would definitely recommend this spectacular evening to remember!! :>)
That sounds amazing!
Ahhhh, the ocean. I love it. I used to live in So CA. Now I live in rural Ohio.
Enjoy your day at the Surf Challenge!
I hear rural Ohio is beautiful as well! Just no ocean.
Beautiful. We live in Miami and would love to get our dogs out to the ocean more often. We’ll live vicariously through you for now! (:
Love the shot of Brody leaping through the waves. He does seem to enjoy ‘his’ ocean 🙂 I’m glad I wore blue today, even though I didn’t know blue was the color for the day. I think every living creature is precious – even those that live deep beneath the waves and are rarely seen. There is so much life in our oceans. Yes, we must protect them!
Oh how I miss the ocean – have fun at the surf challenge!!