Lifeblood

by Talia Hawkes (Australia)

A leap into the unknown Australia

I stood with my toes gripping the edge of the boat and peered into the unending depths below. It had never occurred to me to be afraid of the ocean, but in that moment I was. This was 𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯. Here the water was deep and unknowable and I could not see land, only miles and miles of endless blue. Beneath me was such emptiness, yet I knew it hid so much life. I took a deep breath and jumped. All I saw was blue, blue, blue, split by shimmering shards of light. The water enveloped me and my fear began to fade. I felt as I always did in the water, powerful and graceful, able to do anything or be anyone. The world around me was muted, the silence disturbed only by my bubbling breath and the rustling swish of my hair. Amongst the blue were blooms of peach and rose, with tendrils of light trailing behind. 𝘑𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩, I thought, and my remaining fear dissolved into wonder. My lungs were starting to ache, so I resurfaced and expelled the water from my snorkel. I saw the bright dive flag moving and sped after it. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦! Amongst the bloom of jellyfish and endless blue, I saw a shape forming before me. Dappled white spots and stormy cobalt skin, a tail swishing slowly. The creature had a graceful gravity, and only its ever-increasing size indicated how fast it moved. I was awe-struck. This magnificent being ponderously swimming towards me was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. It was now close enough that its blurred edges coalesced into sharp clarity. The tour guide directed us to the left and the whale shark swam closer, accompanied by its entourage of smaller, jewel-coloured fish. It passed us and we followed. My calves burned as I sped up. I was going so fast and yet I was only beside it for a few moments. In those moments though, I felt part of the ocean, part of the world, as I never had before. Around me was a living entity and I was part of it. I realised the truth in that moment - the ocean was 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. Without it, we were nothing. I am older now. I have travelled and swum with sharks and rays and dolphins. I have navigated underwater caves and been tumbled by mammoth waves, felt the weight of gallons of water pressing me down. I know the ocean is neither gentle nor tame - it is wild and dangerous and so beautiful. I know it is humanity’s lifeblood. If we do not save it, it will be the death of us all. I have felt the difference each summer as I enter the water without my wetsuit, sinking into dread as others exclaim at the unusual warmth for so early in the year. I have travelled to other incredible reefs which are succumbing to bleaching deaths and I have dreamed of my home’s beautiful kelp forests that I will never see. I have felt anger at the blandly smiling faces that deliver contradictions and lies to the children of the world. The words all blur together: 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭…𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨…𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦…𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵…𝘐𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦…𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴…𝘈𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯…𝘚𝘦𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨…𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦. I have stood in crowds and felt hope as we shout to our leaders for change. I have met other travellers with similar experiences and learnt their stories. I have closed my eyes and seen that whale shark and known that I cannot stand and do nothing while the world dooms itself. I am afraid of the ocean now, afraid of the destruction we are inflicting upon it and it in turn will inflict upon us. I am terribly afraid, but that only makes me more desperate. It only makes me love the ocean more. To travel is to learn to love the world, and without love what hope does humanity have?