We went swimming with a sea turtle today. Just a few yards from shore on Lanikai Beach in Oahu, we came across a solo turtle floating along coral corridors. With a big shell that was about three feet long from head to tail, and delicately shaped fins perfect for cruising with the current, this lady turtle introduced herself with her dark and alert eyes.
The amazing thing about this sea turtle is actually not the fortune of finding her in this huge ocean, since green sea turtles are abundant in Hawaii (though their ocean homes are in danger and need our attention to protect them, read on). The amazing thing is the humility you feel in that moment when you see wildlife in the wild. When you realize your human tentacles aren’t nearly as appropriate as those finely shaped fins of hers, you are immediately vulnerable. When you realize this sea turtle is self sufficient in her ability to move around and feed herself — while you gasp through a snorkel tube and keep kicking to stay afloat — that’s when you know you’re a guest of this animal. Not vice versa.
As a staff member at an international conservation group working globally to protect some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems and wildlife, I drink the Kool-aid big time in the wildlife arena. Wild animals are the vibrant and interactive beings that bring this planet’s natural heritage to life. Wildlife informs us of what this planet looked like before Target, highways, Amazon.com, SUVs or BP arrived on its surface. Wildlife inspire us when we see their interactions mirror some of our own — like when a lioness returns to her family following a hunt and connects with each lion with a cheek to cheek rub, as if to say “Hi, I’m back.” Or when Tamarin monkeys pick the bugs and leaves off each others backs, facilitating the self-grooming process that all of us — ALL of us humans — obsess about at one time or another. As living fossils and soldiers of this breathing globe, wild animals warrant our attention and efforts to protect their habitats, food sources and families. They are us. And in many cases, they were here before we were. So championing them is just the right thing to do.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing wildlife all over the world, and yet I remain humbled every time I get to witness wildlife being just…wild. Orangutans in Borneo (top right), lions in Kenya, quetzals in Costa Rica, Golden monkeys in China (middle right), Hoatzins in Ecuador (the turkey look alike at right), whales in Mexico (bottom right) — I am lucky to have these in my wildlife memory book. But regardless of my travels, or yours, everyone can contribute to the global cause of protecting wildlife. We can make decisions in our purchases and philanthropic contributions. We can get educated on where our food comes from, and where our waste goes. We can shift the dial by being thoughtful about where we go and how we get there, what we choose to be patrons of and what we avoid supporting. We can be honest with ourselves about what we really need in this life.
Interested in this? Following is a link to National Geographic’s ‘Human Footprint’ project, which includes a documentary and information on how our consumption all adds up to major impact on the planet, wildlife and all…and by the way, there is an abundance of information to on this topic, so just start Googling 😉
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/human-footprint-3224/Overview
To learn more about some of the bravest leaders protecting wildlife (in my very humble opinion), have a look:
RARE, www.rareconservation.org
The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org
Wildlife Conservation Society, www.wcs.org
Conservation International, www.conservation.org
World Wildlife Fund, www.wwf.org
The Ocean Conservancy, www.oceanconservancy.org
www.explorebiodiversity.com
www.mcbi.org