It’s World Oceans Day, today, June 8th. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work at Oceanic Society, to save whales, and to celebrate the blue in our blue planet. My happy place is in / on the water. I love being weightless and diving with charismatic megafauna (like sharks), and snorkeling or swimming with the incredible diversity of marine life. I love being on a boat and feeling the wind push against me and listening to the sound of the waves crashing on shore.
I’m doing my part to live an ocean-friendly life by practicing "blue habits"—small, everyday actions that contribute to healthier oceans.
I'll also be starting a monthly post of ocean-related events in the San Francisco Bay Area to help fellow ocean-lovers stay engaged in ocean conservation. If you have any events to add, please let me know! If not, I hope you can attend one of these events. Here is the list for June:
For World Oceans Day, I share my friend, Dr. J. Nichols', thought: “I wish you water.”
Kathi Koontz is director of California Whale Rescue and Oceanic Society's former Bay Area Programs Manager. Her passion for the ocean includes work as a whales-in-distress responder through NOAA's Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. Kathi is an avid diver, snorkeler, and advocate for marine wildlife. She has a degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University and spends as much time as she can underwater.