Join me on the trip of a lifetime as you snorkel and swim with humpback whales! We have two different destinations available, both once in a lifetime experiences. Every summer mother humpback whales travel from the feeding grounds in Antarctica to the warm waters of Tonga to give birth to their babies. The King of Tonga declared the ocean surrounding this island chain in the South Pacific a whale sanctuary after these amazing animals were almost hunted to extinction. With a maximum of 8 people on a boat, we spend hours on the ocean watching them breach, tail slap, spy hop, and then we slip into the water to swim with humpback whales. When we depart from shore, you never know what to expect as every day is a gift from the ocean.

I'm very excited to welcome you aboard our extraordinary experience to swim with humpback whales in Tonga! Every trip swimming and snorkeling with humpback whales we witness once in a lifetime behaviors! Click on links below to download the brochures on each of these UNIQUE trips.

August 10-20 2018 Ha'apai BOOK NOW Only 3 spaces available

SPECIAL PRICING for Ha'apai $3000 not including airfare & travel

August 22-30 2018 Va'vau SOLD OUT

September 7-18 2019 Va'vau 2 spaces available

Va'vau $5800 per per person based on shared occupancy

September 18-28 2019 Va'vau 2 spaces available

Va'vau $5800 per person based on shared occupancy

Humpback Whale encounters: 7 hrs on our whale encounter vessels, trained whale guides, morning tea refreshments and homemade lunch

Storytelling & Ecology Workshops: Traveling with Annie and her team is always an adventure. After our days on the boats, we will have a variety of programs including photography, video, storytelling and natural history workshops.

What are you waiting for? Book today! Please call, text, email with questions. We have the time of our lives together.

Please remember that it’s impossible to buy things while in Tonga. GoPro batteries, swimsuits, sunglasses...etc, there is not much here to choose from. Please be as redundant as you can with things like batteries, cards for your camera, sunscreen, swim suits etc.

OTHER INFORMATION: Sundays are a day of rest in Tonga and that is why we have 2 days of rest during our visit. We will have plenty of fun as we will be able to snorkel, kayak, SUP,  photo/video workshop, etc…but the boats are not allowed to be operated on Sundays. There are plenty of Churches on Tonga if anyone would like to visit a church, we can arrange!

I have hours of photos/videos to share and am happy to give you and your friends a personal show! I’m just ecstatic that we are going to be able to go swim with humpback whales in Tonga together!

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We need to be the voice of our ocean. Without us, our ocean has no voice!

Local award-winning underwater filmmaker, author, and environmental speaker Annie Crawley (aka Ocean Annie) has spent countless hours underwater and logged more than 5,000 dives all over the world. She’s documented humpback mothers and babies; octopus hunting; and whale sharks as big as a school bus. She runs a scuba diving team for kids, teens and young adults in Edmonds, Washington and has her fingers on the pulse of stories threatening our local waters. Frankenfish: A Farmed Atlantic Salmon Story short documentary film by Annie Crawley makes it’s world premiere at the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival on Monday, May 28. Frankenfish will join ten exceptional short films from across Washington State at 12:00 PM in the Legends of the PNW screening at the SIFF Uptown Theater, 511 Queen Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109.

In August 2017, more than 260,000 farmed Atlantic salmon escaped into Puget Sound after the collapse of the Cypress Island Cooke Aquaculture net pen. At first, Cooke falsely reported that “king tides” due to the solar eclipse had caused the salmon escape. Later we found out that the escape occurred because of Cooke's negligence. As a journalist focusing on our ocean, Annie found herself heading up to Bellingham with cameras in hand, planning on capturing the story.

“I wasn't sure how I was going to get on a boat, but thanks to connections and reaching out to the folks at Lummi Island Wild and Dana Wilson of the Lummi Nation they allowed me to join their crews to document cleaning up the mess of farmed Atlantic salmon escape.” Annie Crawley

Lummi Nation fishermen scrambled to contain a spill of farmed Atlantic salmon in north Puget Sound before they tarnished local waters, shedding light on a global struggle between farmed and wild fish. The film tells the story of the farmed Atlantic salmon net pen spill into the Salish Sea. The event sparked a movement of people to speak out against Atlantic salmon net pens in the Puget Sound.

Although the Atlantic salmon net pen escape was tragic, it united an entire community of people in the Pacific Northwest to speak out against Atlantic farmed salmon and the net pens in the Salish Sea. The incident inspired many to take action to protect the ecology of the Puget Sound and our wild fish stocks. Please join us and view this film at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Frankenfish A Farmed Atlantic Salmon Story was created in partnership with the Communication Leadership graduate program at The University of Washington, the Nereus Program and Ocean Link NW. Special thanks to Beau Garreau from Children of the Setting Sun Productions for his drone footage. Huge shout out to our sponsors Light & Motion, Underwater Sports, Backscatter Underwater Photo & Video.

More than 400 films from 90 countries will be screened in Seattle over 25 days with more than 145,000 attendees. The Seattle International Film Festival is the largest and most highly attended film festival in the United States, now in it’s 44th year.

About Annie Crawley
Award winning producer, underwater photographer, author, and speaker, Annie Crawley gives the ocean a voice through her mission to reach audiences about our underwater world. Originally from Chicago, Annie’s life changed when she took her first breath underwater as a scuba diver. As a PADI Scuba Instructor, artist, storyteller, and member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, she travels the world with her underwater cameras in hand, focusing on documenting life below the surface.

To learn more about Annie please visit www.AnnieCrawley.com

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In August 2017, more than 260,000 farmed Atlantic salmon escaped into Puget Sound after the collapse of the Cypress Island Cooke Aquaculture net pen. At first, Cooke falsely reported that “king tides” due to the solar eclipse had caused the salmon escape. Later we found out that the escape occurred because of Cooke's negligence. As a journalist focusing on our ocean, I found myself heading up to Bellingham soon after the salmon spill with cameras in hand, planning on capturing the story. I wasn't sure how I was going to get on a boat, but thanks to connections and reaching out to the folks at Lummi Island Wild and Dana Wilson of the Lummi Nation they allowed me to join their crews to document cleaning up the mess of farmed Atlantic salmon escape.

Neither Cooke Aquaculture nor the state of Washington had an effective strategic plan in case of an Atlantic salmon escape. The strategic plan for the site had been updated and approved only eight months before the release, but it proved inadequate. Cooke implemented the plan, which asked recreational fisher people to go fish and clean up the mess. Nobody questioned how ineffective a recreational fishing campaign to clean up 260,000 Atlantic farmed salmon would be...but I surely did.

The first signal of inadequate response came when I could not convince any of my long time friends or family who are all recreational fisherpeople to drive their boats and help clean up the farmed Atlantic salmon mess. Over and over I heard, “Why would we want to spend our money on gas to drive more than two to three hours each way to catch farmed Atlantic salmon?”

There were recreational people who did go and fish, but they did not put a dent in the number of escaped fish caught. It was not until Cooke Aquaculture and Washington state agencies opened the fishery up to the Lummi Nation commercial fishers that 57,000 Atlantic salmon were recovered. To date there are still more than 200,000 Atlantic salmon in the Salish Sea which are believed to be dead or dying of starvation. In the end, recreational fisherpeople caught a mere 2,500 of the escaped 260,000 fish.

There is great irony in having a $2 billion company and a number of Washington state agencies (Department of Natural Resources, Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) tell people to go fishing to clean up the mess of Atlantic farmed salmon, an invasive species, in our public waters.

We interviewed Kurt Beardslee of Wild Fish Conservancy who has filed a citizen lawsuit against Cooke Aquaculture Pacific, LLC. Washington state is the only state on the West Coast that allows Atlantic salmon farming in their waters. The practice is banned in California, Oregon and Alaska. We subsidize Atlantic farmed salmon. As Beardslee explains, “They (Atlantic salmon) are publicly subsidized. They require the public’s water to raise their fish. They require the public’s water to clean up their pollution and remove their waste. They require the public to clean up their messes.”

There is something fishy with Cooke Aquaculture and it’s not their fish.

As reported in October, they tried to silence the Lummi Nation with money. Read full article here. Cooke Aquaculture also tried to hide how bad the spill was when they lied to Washington state agencies. At the beginning of February, a full report was released about the Cypress Island Cooke Aquaculture net pen failure. The state agencies all blame Cooke for not sharing accurate information.

Although the Atlantic salmon net pen escape was tragic, it united an entire community of people in the Pacific Northwest to speak out against Atlantic farmed salmon and the net pens in the Salish Sea. The incident inspired many to take action to protect the ecology of the Puget Sound and our wild fish stocks.

The report blames inadequate and misleading information from Cooke Aquaculture for Washington State agencies failure to act. Farmed Atlantic salmon in the Cooke Aquaculture Cypress Island net pen were almost ready to harvest. It’s now known that Cooke Aquaculture’s equipment to remove biofouling (mussels and other growth) from their nets broke down. Were they hoping to harvest the more than three million pounds of fish without having to spend any money on repairs? In July 2017, one month before the net pen collapse, the anchors dragged during king tides and nobody from the state investigated underwater to look at the net pens. Malfunctioning equipment and excessive biofouling on the nets were found out to be the cause of the collapse. The state agencies believe Cooke Aquaculture lied to cover up their negligence.

Since the disaster in August, half of the Atlantic salmon net pen leases have been revoked due to negligence. And the other 4 net pens in the Puget Sound leases will not be renewed as Washington State Senate and House passed a bill that they will not renew the leases for net pens. Many hope this will be a turning of the tide and Washington state will be a catalyst for governments in other parts of the world including our British Columbia neighbors where Atlantic salmon farming puts local waters and wild salmon species at risk. I hope watching this film, will inspire you to learn more about the food you eat and that you will choose wild fish.

Frankenfish A Farmed Atlantic Salmon Story was created in partnership with the Communication Leadership graduate program at The University of Washington, the Nereus Program and Ocean Link NW. Special thanks to Beau Garreau from Children of the Setting Sun Productions for his drone footage and to Harold Bailey. Huge shout out to our sponsors Light & Motion, Underwater Sports, Backscatter Underwater Photo & Video.

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This was an incredible project for me personally because I grew up in Chicago exploring the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium. To be able to return to film behind the scenes and feature Dr. Rachel Santymire's work studying black rhinoceros at Lincoln Park Zoo and in the wild to help the species survive makes my heart sing. I will be sharing these experiences in the coming weeks, but I just wanted to get the news out today about the release of our new book, Scientists to the Rescue, and the blog tour from other bloggers that LOVE science books for children and teens.

Please help us share the Zoo Scientists to the Rescue book and blog tour with your friends and family! Zoo Scientists to the Rescue is full of inspiration on how you can be involved in the solution to the many problems endangered wildlife face. We would love to get this book into the hands of as many kids and schools as possible but need your help! If you order from my website, I will personalize Zoo Scientists to the Rescue and share a free gift with every order!

Here are some links to explore from Zoo Scientists to the Rescue Blog Tour:

Anastasia Suen interviewed Patti and I about Zoo Scientists to the Rescue. She is an incredible author and developer with more than 275 titles to her credit. We shared the back story on how Zoo Scientists to the Rescue came to print! Please read and share! Anastasia Suen's Blog on #Kidlit Book of the Day You may also be interested in her Nonfiction Monday blog

Laurie Ann Thompson inspires and empowers young readers. She's the mastermind behind BE A CHANGEMAKER: HOW TO START SOMETHING THAT MATTERS. It's an empowering how-to guide for teens who want to effect social change in their communities and around the world. Equal parts instruction and inspiration, the book includes tools and tips, exercises, and profiles of young social entrepreneurs who’ve already made their marks on the world. Read her review of Zoo Scientists to the Rescue here. She also interviewed us about the making of Zoo Scientists to the Rescue! Please read and share!

Brenda Kahn reviews and rambles about children's and young adult literature. She claims to be an absentminded middle school librarian who keeps her blog to remember what she has read and to celebrate the wonderful world of children's and young adult literature. You can read her review of Zoo Scientists to the Rescue here at ProseandKahn

Books for the Curious Child blogger Susan Robert's only posts books she gives five hearts. Zoo Scientists to the Rescue made her cut. Read her post here.

We would love to share with you more of our stories, so please keep checking back or help us spread the word in whatever way you can! I'm available for keynote speeches, workshops and more! If I can't be out shooting images in our world, my next favorite thing is to talk about the experiences while inspiring others!

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Join Photographer/Filmmaker Annie Crawley and Scientist Dr. Carlos Armando Sanchez-Ortiz aboard the Quino El Guardian to the Midriff Islands Scuba Diving Expedition. They are joining forces for this very special Citizen Science & Storytelling Midriff Islands Scuba Diving Expedition July 16-23 2017. Download PDF or call Annie at 805-453-1947

The Midriff Islands are home to thousands of sea lions, mobulas, whale sharks and more. We will dive our way around these islands while learning about this ecosystem known as the Galapagos of Mexico. Together we will create a photo/video story of our week, including an expedition to snorkel with whale sharks! Dr. Sanchez and crew will be running daily research projects and involving divers with everything from collecting plankton to discussing ecosystems, whale sharks, sea lions and more. This is sure to be a once in a lifetime experience as we dive, snorkel, hike and kayak our way around the Midriff Islands. We will board The Quino El Guardian on Sunday July 16 for 7 nights of exploration. We disembark the vessel on the morning of Sunday July 23, 2017. Contact us for full travel details.

This Midriff Islands Scuba Diving Expedition is special as you can send your certified kids/teens with us or join the expedition! We realize that not all parents dive, nor have the time during the summer that our kids/teens have so we are making this trip parent optional. We will fly into Phoenix and take a shuttle across the boarder to Mexico directly to embark at 5:00 PM in Puerto Penasco. From here we travel for 7 days throughout the Midriff Islands documenting the expedition while working with our scientists and crew. Here we will have experiences with thousands of Sea Lions, Giant Groupers, Schools of Fish, Octopus, Mobulas, Mantas, Nudibranchs and snorkeling with WHALE SHARKS! We will work with Dr. Sanchez on citizen science and storytelling with our cameras. We will be running photo/video programs in which everyone on board will be participating in storytelling workshops and be creating/documenting their expedition. A 5mm wetsuit and hood is recommended. We need to arrive by Noon in Phoenix on July 16 to catch our group shuttle.

About Annie: Award winning producer, underwater photographer, author, and speaker, Annie Crawley gives the ocean a voice through her mission to reach audiences about our underwater world. Originally from Chicago, Annie’s life changed when she took her first breath underwater as a scuba diver. As a scuba diving instructor, artist, storyteller, and member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, she travels the world with her underwater cameras in hand, focusing on documenting life below the surface.

About Dr. Carlos Armando Sánchez-Ortiz: Dr. Sánchez-Ortiz specializes in Conservation biology in reef ecosystems. He is a Professor-Researcher at the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur (UABCS), La Paz, BCS and works as a marine biologist and with molecular genetics. For 25 years he has been doing research in the Gulf of California, Mexican Pacific and Oceanic Island.

He is currently director of the UABCS Research Program for the Conservation of Reef Fauna, developing studies on: a) biodiversity in reef ecosystems and description of new species; B) ecology of communities in reef ecosystems; C) evaluation of the health status of reef ecosystems and their environmental services; and d) scientific underwater photography.

He continues to prepare students in scientific activities and exploring ways to communicate science to society, regarding the wonders of these Mexican seas and the need to conserve marine nature for future generations.

The Midriff Islands Scuba Diving Expedition will be aboard the Quino El Guardian, a 90-foot (27-meter) boat with air conditioning for your comfort. The Quino has 5 cabins (4 with 4 beds and 1 cabin with 2 beds), which can accommodate up to 16 guests.

All the cabins have a drawer and a bed with a privacy curtain for each person. There are 4 comfortable bathrooms with full-size showers, and each bathroom is assigned to one cabin so guests can leave their personal items inside.

The Quino El Guardian has a galley that comfortably accommodates all passengers and includes a projector and a screen for presentations. In addition, there is a salon with sofas, a TV and a computer table. There is also a large, shaded sundeck with lawn chairs and bean bags for relaxing between dives or for enjoying the stars in the night sky.

In the back of the boat, you’ll find a large dive deck organized with gear storage for all your diving equipment and a spacious camera table.

There is also a dive platform that gives you access to two inflatable tenders. These will ferry you to the dive sites and back to the boat. All safety equipment required is on the vessel.

This expedition is for either certified divers or snorkelers. The trip cost is $2300 per person plus airfare to Phoenix, $125 for round trip shuttle to and from Mexico, park fee of $28 and crew gratuity which is standard at 10-15%. If you or your children would like to become certified scuba divers you can learn more about our scuba camps here and/or please contact us for more info!

Contact Us for More Information!
m 805-453-1947• Annie@AnnieCrawley.com • www.AnnieCrawley.com
Dive Into Your Imagination, 10002 Aurora Ave North, Ste 36-104, Seattle, WA 98133

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Thank you so much for spreading the word about our ocean! So far, the Our Ocean and YOU Campaign reached 19,297 students, parents, and educators from more than 73 schools/organizations in the Greater Seattle Area. We are continuing the campaign to raise awareness about plastic pollution, marine debris, and the interconnection people have with the sea.

At Greenwood Elementary, librarian extraordinaire Ruthanne Rankin and her Green Team had students decorate a beautiful sea mural in the library. Once it was complete, the teachers then plasticized the ocean with single use plastic to illustrate what is happening in our world ocean. "The first step we wanted to do with our students was raise awareness about just how much plastic is in their/our lives." said Ms. Rankin Greenwood Elementary encourages students, teachers, and families to be the voice for our ocean while raising awareness about the flow of pollution.

We want everyone to help reverse the flow of ocean pollution. By embracing the 30 Day Challenge to Refuse Single Use Plastic, you will be amazed at the changes you can make in your daily life. We are continuing the Our Ocean & YOU campaign into the 2016/2017 school year. Please share with a school/organization near you. We want to share your stories about what you learned. Many schools have been active with beach clean-ups or raising money for turtles, sharks and other ocean animals. Students have created science projects and underwater robotic missions to clean up plastic, oil, and other ocean pollution. Schools have switched from plastic to metal cutlery, encouraged trash free lunches, and brought the messages they learned in the presentations back to the classroom through cross-curricular learning.

Ocean Annie and her team worked with schools in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. After the presentations, the 2nd and 6th graders went to one of the pristine beaches in their neighborhood. What they found was an entire beach covered in microplastics. They could not believe how much of this tiny plastic covered the beaches. They vowed to continue the fight to raise awareness about plastic pollution and how important our ocean is in our lives.

During the coming months, Ocean Annie will be traveling to China, Mexico, Colombia, Tonga, the Maldives, and throughout the Pacific Northwest. Our vision connects students worldwide, raising awareness about our ocean through storytelling. Public awareness is the first step to create corporate and political change. Please send us your stories and let Ocean Annie know what you are working on!

Below you can see Ocean Annie in action as she teaches kids how to do a shark clap in support of Give 'Em The Fin campaign. Ocean Annie encourages students to imagine they are scuba divers exploring the world and believes in the power of inspiration to create a future vision that we live at one with our environment. If you want her to visit a school near you, find out more here!

Special thanks to all of our sponsors: Samuelson Communications, Studio Fun International, Millbrook Press, Dive Into Your Imagination, Ocean Annie, Underwater Sports, Boxlight, and Light & Motion Thank you for giving the gift of the ocean to the next generation! When you reach a child, you change history!

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30 Day Challenge Refuse Single Use Plastic for 30 Days

We have spoken to nearly 10,000 students to date and we are asking all to take the 30 Day Challenge and Refuse Single Use Plastic for 30 Days #RefuseSUP. Watch this video and see why this is so important. Single use plastic is plastic you use once and throw away. In January 2016, a report announced by the year 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in our ocean than fish. Public awareness drives corporate and policy change and we are hoping to raise public awareness with the 30 Day Challenge as you refuse single use plastic for 30 days and share with your friends and family. The ocean is underrepresented in schools, often misrepresented in the media, and many stories told about our life source perpetuate fear. We know more about outer space than we do about our ocean. The Our Ocean & YOU campaign launched in January 2016 to raise awareness about the importance of the ocean in our daily lives and dives below the surface sharing one of the wicked problems facing our ocean, plastic pollution.

Every breath we take connects us to the ocean as the phytoplankton mass living in our world ocean creates more than 50% of the oxygen our planet needs. Our ocean holds 98% of our world’s water. Three billion people rely on the protein from the sea for their survival. The ocean literally gives us oxygen, water, and feeds our world. Without a healthy ocean, life on our planet cannot exist. Without a healthy ocean, we are not healthy. People are polluting our ocean. Plastic is a people problem and only people can be the solution.

The 30 Day Challenge was created to raise awareness about the pervasive problem plastic is to our environment, especially our ocean. We want you to commit to refusing single use plastic for 30 days. I hope you will take the 30 Day Challenge and Refuse Single Use Plastic for 30 Days. In doing so, you will be rethinking plastic in your life. You will become aware of how challenging it is to avoid/stop using/refuse single use plastic. At the same time, we are asking you to share the experience with your friends and family. If we can begin to understand how important our ocean is in our lives, perhaps we will create the change needed to take care of her. Please share, print, download, and encourage your friends and family to #RefuseSUP

If you would like to bring Ocean Annie to your school, group, or organization, we are still booking events. Contact Annie for more information. This campaign will end on June 8, World Ocean Day in Friday Harbor on the San Juan Islands. Special thanks to all of our sponsors for helping make this happen. Annie Crawley was in the North Pacific Gyre aboard the SEAPLEX cruise for Project Kaisei. She teamed up with author Patricia Newman and created Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch published by Millbrook Press. Purchase a copy today and Annie will personalize for you.

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There are many different ways we can make a positive impact on the reduction of plastic pollution in our ocean. In my experience, I believe ignorance is one of the biggest problems facing our world ocean. We need to increase ocean education to combat this. Educating others about the importance of our ocean in our lives is one of the most important things we can do to help our ocean.

The ocean evokes exploration and beauty for some while fear for others. Ocean education has been underrepresented in schools and misrepresented by movies, television, and multi-media for years. People have perpetuated fear and untruths about our ocean since the beginning of time. We know more about outer space then we do about our ocean. Consider challenging your friends and family to join the 30 Day Challenge and Refuse Single Use Plastic for 30 Days #RefuseSUP.

Life as we know it does not exist without a healthy ocean. Every breath we take connects us to the sea. 50-70% of our oxygen comes from the phytoplankton mass in our world ocean. We should be called Planet Ocean as it covers 70% of our planet and holds 98% of all of our water. Our ocean literally feeds our world, as 3 billion people on our planet rely on the protein from the sea for their existence. It is the great regulator of our planet. Through our carbon emissions we are causing ocean acidification and climate change. Plastic production contributes to both. Plastic is a miracle substance and has changed our world, just look around you and take an inventory of all the plastic in our lives. From our computers and mobile devices to our shoes and underwear, from our cars and cameras, to hoola hoops and food packaging, plastic is all around us.

Within my life there has been an explosion of single use plastic. With an increasing world population, there is an increase in plastic production. Half of plastic production is single use plastic, plastic you use once and throw away. Unfortunately it is not only thrown away into landfills, yet plastic enters our environment. Every time it rains, anything on the ground makes its way to our rivers, streams, lakes, and eventually our ocean. Everything we do on land affects our ocean.

If you can start with one thing, I would encourage you to share ocean education and positive ocean messages with others. Consider rethinking your relationship with plastic and start refusing single use plastic. #RefuseSUP We need to raise our voices together and change humanity's relationship with our ocean from dumping ground to protected ground. Every breath we take connects us to our ocean.

Thanks for your question. Think of all the ways you can include ocean education in experiences with your friends, family, and community.

We know about water bottles, straws, plastic bags...all the single use products. However, based on what you have seen as you explore the world with your radar on the problem of plastics, what change would have the greatest impact?

I believe we should ban plastic straws, bags, utensils, single use plastic drink bottles, and styrofoam food containers all around the world. We need to use biodegradable products. There are companies working on algae, mushrooms, and other compostable packaging because plastics have become so invasive to our environment. We lived without convenience plastics until fairly recently and we do not really need them in our lives. There is no pressure on any large chemical company to create a product that is biodegradable. Think of all the large convenient food/coffee places using plastic straws daily from McDonalds to Starbucks, Taco Bell to Pizza Hut. 500 million straws are used every day in America, that is 3.5 billion per week and not one of them can be recycled. Plastics are petroleum/oil based products and are invasive. Plastic straws are one of the most commonly found marine debris.

So what can we do? We need to create public awareness and ocean education around our plastic issue. Public awareness drives policy and corporate change. Without people knowing, understanding, and caring about an issue, we cannot fix it. Plastic is a people problem and only people can be the solution. This issue is affecting millions of animals in our ocean, and we need many students around the world to be the voice of the sea. We need to create a movement around ocean education and need to unite youth everywhere to be the messengers. Adult people listen to youth/students/children/teens. We need to do everything in our power to raise our voices so that others can understand the messages from our ocean.

Our ocean needs uniting. We need to protect at least 30% of our world ocean in order for her to be able to recover and reproduce. At the same time, we need to address climate change and stop ocean pollution. How can you raise your voice to share what you learn with others? How can you get your friends, family, community to understand the importance of what lies just below the surface of our sea? How can you spread ocean education and positive ocean messages with your friends in your community?

What is one of the most memorable moments you have experienced while snorkeling in the ocean? by Wesley

It is very hard to think of one memorable moment, as I feel like every single time I get in the water, it's magic! There are two experiences that truly changed my life. The first was when I was on a boat in the Galapagos, and a humpback whale was spotted. The Captain stopped the ship and allowed all of us to go into the water with our mask, snorkel and fins  in the hopes that the humpback whale would be curious and approach us. As I lay on the surface of the water in about a three-foot swell, a humpback calf swam right past me with a dozen dolphins cruising along, some riding the wave of pressure created by the humpback whales body. I will never ever forget this as it was my very first encounter with a baby humpback whale while I was in the water.

The second experience was in Palau, a chain of islands in Micronesia. They are called rock islands, yet are made of limestone and were once coral reefs. There is a marine lake called Jellyfish Lake where you snorkel with thousands of jellies that do not sting your body. The jellies in Jellyfish Lake in Palau are very special jellies as they have a symbiotic relationship with an algae living inside. The algae provide food for the jellies through the process of photosynthesis and the jellies transport the algae by following the sun. In science we call this mutually beneficial commensalism because they both benefit from the relationship. In the San Juan Islands and throughout the Pacific Northwest, you do not touch jellies even if they are dead on a beach because they have stinging cells to protect themselves and to sting their prey/food.

Thanks for asking! You can scenes from both of these locations in Blue Heart Ocean Soul!

What was it like the first time you swam with sharks?

You have stumped me. The first time I went scuba diving was in Western Australia. The very first breaths I took, I looked at my instructor and thought, ‘I could do your job and travel the world.’ I graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Communications and saved my money for a year working three different jobs. My goal was to travel as a journalist exploring our world and my first stop was Australia. I was walking down the street and saw a sign, learn to scuba dive. I had been on swim team from the age of 10 but had never ever tried scuba diving. So I thought, what the heck, let’s go for it. The very first breaths I took, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, be an underwater photographer and scuba diving instructor. I was absolutely hooked. I went diving in and around the temperate waters of Western Australia  and I dived in kelp forests. One of my next stops in Australia took me to Airlie Beach in Queensland, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. I still remember my first dive there. I went with Emma, the Dive Master/Chef on the boat Romance. We were on Bait Reef and within the first 50 feet we passed a garden of Electric Blue Staghorn coral and every color of the rainbow filled my eyes. I could not believe what I was witnessing/seeing underwater living on the coral reefs. Scuba diving allows us to see the most magical place on the planet and to be a deep sea diver experiencing what others only can imagine…my life changed forever. On one of my next dives, I was with my buddy Bob doing my advanced course, we were in a current and doing a drift dive. As we came around a corner, I nearly flipped (and probably did) as there was a fish as big as me hiding behind a reef wall from the current. It was called a Maori wrasse and was the biggest fish I had ever seen. I know we saw reef sharks as well, but seeing sharks for the first time did not have as great of an impact as simply breathing underwater. Just blowing bubbles from my regulator in a swimming pool was one of the greatest experiences of my life. When I was introduced to the rainbow sea on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, I knew my life forever changed.

I have dived with sharks all around the world. Schooling hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, nurse sharks, zebra sharks, white tipped, black tipped, grey reef, oceanic, great whites, tiger sharks, walking sharks, and more. I absolutely LOVE diving with sharks and rays. They are so important to the balance of our world ocean, it is a crime what people are doing to them. Scientists predict people are taking 100 million sharks out of our world ocean every year, in many cases in inhumane ways. Our world ocean cannot sustain this type of abuse by people. We must raise our voices and share. It is very challenging though because of the fear perpetuated by the media in regards to sharks. Just 2 days ago, I went to the Amazon Book Store at U-Village. There was a giant television screen in which kids were playing a video game that if you hit a jellie you die and if you eat a human being you get 1000 points. Sharks are not human killers. People are shark killers. Fear based media sells more than positive/educational media. I get really sad when I think about what people are doing to sharks and rays around the world. There is so much we still do not know about our ocean and I hope that we can start living at one with the sea before it is too late.

Scientists believe we need to protect 30% of our ocean from people in marine protected areas. In addition we need to address the wicked problems of climate change, over-fishing, and ocean pollution. Sharks give so much to the imagination, please learn everything you can about sharks and how important our ocean is to our planet so that we start caring and protecting her.

Thanks for your questions and listening to my thoughts. Please share, comment, and keep asking questions. We all need to work together and be the voice for our ocean and increase ocean education for all! #LoveOurOcean

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Fatima Our Ocean & YOU students in Magnolia were eager to learn about the ocean and how to protect it! They discovered the beauty, the pollution, and the myths of the ocean. One big myth Ocean Annie needs to dispel at schools revolves around sharks and people.

More people die from selfie accidents than shark attacks.

That's right. Out of nearly 500 different species of sharks, only a handful of them are potentially dangerous to humans. Sharks are not the viscous monsters that we have them made out to be in our minds. In 2015 there were 6 deaths from sharks, yet people killed more than 100 million sharks. Although Ocean Annie talks about sharks in her presentations, she shares the real monster in the ocean is plastic created by people and that only people can be the solution.

One little girl asked, "If plastic is in the ocean and people are creating it, why don't we keep it on land?" The average person generates 4.3 pounds of waste per day and one ton a year. Times that by the approximate 7 billion people on our planet, that is 30.1 billion pounds of trash every day and 7 billion tons of trash a year. These numbers are unfathomable. Trash can either be put in a land fill or burned. If it is burned, it releases harmful chemicals and carcinogenics into the atmosphere. When trash is in a landfill, it is left there forever. Some trash slowly decomposes, though there is little oxygen for it to do so, and some gets carried away through runoff. It is said that the rivers and lakes are the arteries of our planet, and the ocean is our heart. When trash is swept into currents from rainfall and moisture, it slowly makes its way into our ocean. Most people are not purposefully putting trash into the ocean, yet it ends up there. When you throw something away, where is away? Consider how much waste you produce and where it might end up.

"Can you tell me how I can keep our ocean clean?" an eager student asked after seeing all the incredible creatures living just below the surface. There is so much YOU can do to keep our ocean clean. Click here to find out! It is not too late to stop the flow of pollution into our ocean. People are capable of amazing things and together we are going to solve this problem of ocean plastic pollution because there is nothing more important than life on our planet. No issue, no problem, no current event would mean anything if our planet ocean did not provide us with life. We need a healthy ocean for people to be healthy.

So, what can you do immediately in your life? You can skip a straw, stop using single use drink bottles, stop using plastic bags and share what you are doing with your friends. It's that easy. By raising awareness and sharing with your friends, we can start raising awareness about our global ocean pollution problem. Ask your favorite restaurant to stop serving straws and tell them why. If you buy fast food, plan ahead, how can you stop using single use plastic. If you use plastic straws at home, invest in reusable compost friendly bamboo straws.

500 million straw are used every day in the United States. If every student at Fatima and every person we reach during the Our Ocean & YOU campaign commits to skipping a straw for a year and has their family do the same, we would prevent 73 million straws from entering our environment and ocean. Imagine if we could raise our voices so everyone could receive the message of no more straws!

There are countless myths about our ocean and her creatures. Every breath we take connects us to the ocean, it holds our water, and feeds our world. The ocean is the great regulator of our planet. We hope by sharing the beauty and the importance with students at Fatima they will love our ocean because we protect what we love. Our ocean needs our voices now more than ever.

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500 million straws are used every day in the United States. 500 MILLION. Think about how long you use a single plastic straw, maybe 20 minutes. Then what? It is thrown away or ends up as pollution in our environment and our ocean. Straws can't be recycled. They last at least 200 years before degrading into smaller bits of plastic. Single use plastic, like straws, ends up in landfills and make their way into the ocean through watersheds and runoff. One of the saddest sights is a straw stuck in the nose of a turtle.Watch this video to see what happens. I worn you that it will make you want to stop using straws forever!

Ocean animals can't tell the difference between their food and people's single use plastic items littering the ocean. It is time to rethink your relationship with plastic, refuse single use plastic #RefuseSUP, and raise your voice.

The good news is that we can make a change. Join us! Refuse single use plastic #RefuseSUP and help raise awareness. Ask to skip the straw next time you are at a restaurant. Tell your parents to stop using straws. Tell your friends to stop using straws. Tell everyone you know to stop using straws. Just think of all the drink boxes with plastic straws attached, how can you choose another product that is more friendly to our ocean animals? Reach out to businesses that use straws. Go to your local Starbucks and ask them to join in skipping straws. For those of you who still want to use straws, there are metal, glass or bamboo alternatives. Bamboo straws, pictured here, biodegrade in less than a year. It is important we raise our voices together. Stop using straws and getting others on-board is as easy as visiting your favorite local restaurant either in person or sending a letter to the manager. You can use the letter below as talking points or as the base for a letter you write:

Dear Restaurant Stop Using Straws

Greetings (Include Manager’s Name)!

My name is _____________ and I am in ______ grade at _______ school. We live in your neighborhood and you are my favorite restaurant. We would like you to stop using plastic straws at your restaurant. More than 500 million straws are used in the United States every single day and many end up in the ocean. This kind of single use plastic is harming our environment and we would like to share a few facts with you and your team:

• Every straw ever produced lasts on our planet for at at least 200 years
• Plastic straws are one of the top ten littered products picked up on beach clean
  ups
• Plastic straws can't be recycled, they go into landfill
• People do not need to use plastic straws to enjoy your restaurant
  

More than 8 million tons of plastic enters our sea every year and it is now predicted there will be more plastic in our ocean than fish by the year 2050. If your company stops using plastic straws or switches to a reusable straw, we could create change in our community. You can let all of the people know who visit your restaurant why you stopped using straws and raise awareness about this important issue. If everyone skipped the straw and refused single use plastic #RefuseSUP  in our community we could make a difference in the health of our ocean. The first step in policy and corporate change is public awareness. I am happy to come and talk at one of  your team meetings. Also, Ocean Annie, www.AnnieCrawley.com said she would come too! Skipping the straw would not only save you money, you would be a leader in helping our environment. 

Every breath we take connects us to the sea. 50-70% of the oxygen in every
breath comes from the phytoplankton and marine plants in the ocean. The ocean holds
98% of the water on our planet and feeds our world. A healthy
ocean means healthy people. Plastic is a people problem and only people can be the solution. Please help be the solution.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

To learn more check out 5 Ways to Rethink Your Relationship With Plastic. Take the pledge to #RefuseSUP. Have Annie Crawley, underwater photographer/filmmaker, to your school or organization as part of the Our Ocean & YOU campaign. Together we can #LoveOurOcean and #RefuseSUP.

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