Image: Sylvia Earle © Hope Spots Company Inc.
Posted by Marianne Teoh
I’ve just watched a stunning documentary called Mission Blue. By combining beautiful videography with sincere words from marine scientists, Mission Blue has rekindled my determination to protect our oceans.
This 2014 documentary features a legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle (wiki), one of the most tenacious and inspiring ocean defenders of our time. We follow Sylvia Earle’s story as she reflects on her childhood passions, recounts her enviable life exploring ocean frontiers and shares her experiences of some of the most pristine – and destroyed – marine environments. With outstanding professional achievements, Sylvia’s reputation as a tireless ocean advocate precedes her. She is truly become a force to be reckoned with, but importantly she is a still a sprightly (at 78!) and likeable scientist who challenges us to join her in protecting the oceans.
There are some wonderful quotes from the documentary – scroll down for some of my favourites.
Have a look at the trailer for Mission Blue below:
National Geographic – Mission Blue
I also recommend this National Geographic Article about Mission Blue:
Photo courtesy of Sylvia Earle and Hope Spots Company Inc
Quotes from Mission Blue
“It’s that thing that explorers love to do which is to just get as far away from humanity as they can, in a way ironically that puts you more in touch with your own humanity”
– James Cameron
When asked if she would ever take a day off from marine conservation work, Sylvia Earle replied:
“If you saw a child falling out of a 10-story window, and you have the ability to reach out and catch him… you don’t take a break. You’re there 24-7. You’re there with every ounce of what you’ve got. You want to save that child”.
– Sylvia Earle
Our ocean is that child, and it needs saving.
“If I could be born anywhere in time, it would be now. It would be now because this is the time as never before. That we understand what we didn’t 50 years ago. If we wait another 50 years, opportunities we now have will be gone. This is the moment. Our decisions. Our actions will shape everything that follows.”
– Sylvia Earle
Mission Blue is available for live streaming on Netflix, but if you don’t have a Netflix subscription (or a kind friend to share one with you), you can watch Sylvia Earle’s TED talk below: