Saving the World of Water "Only love can do it"

There is only one world of water; it connects the entire planet. Everybody across the planet may be accountable, but not everybody across the planet, is responsible.

To me, a diver - be she or he a naturalist, photographer, scientist, observer or adventurer - is an explorer. Not just an explorer in another world but an explorer in another concept, in which ideas, techniques, philosophies, languages and ideals are constantly being changed, remodelled and invented.

The sea is only an extension of the land but it makes up 71% of the total surface area of our planet. Yet we call it, Earth. We cannot in any way, shape or form ever begin to understand this vast unknown part of our everyday existence by standing at a distance and throwing rocks, or by sticking pins in it to see if it's alive. Nor can we hope to evaluate the sea and its contents by remote control robots.

We must go down and see for ourselves. We must study and observe the creatures and their relationships within the total overall balance of life as we know it. It must be realised that the land, the air and the sea are all one gigantic system, all related, all connected, all interdependent and all important.

	However, the world of water isn't mine, nor do my concepts belong to me. The issues I stand for, represent, believe in and fight for are everybody's issues, and everybody's responsibility. Unless we, as people, all make a stand for the aquatic environment and support the ideals of those whose dreams and commitments go beyond the ordinary, then what we don't see is exactly what will be left.The only thing that will enable humans to cure nature's ills is our ability to EXPLORE the problems we have created, and DISCOVER the solutions. Scuba divers walking out to the reef edge. Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef.
Crystal clear water, azure blue skies, white fluffy clouds and calm seas is what we all dream about when thinking of dive holidays, and sometimes dreams come true, especially when we plan trips during the right seasons.
So, what about EXPLORATION? Webster's dictionary states that the "Exploration" means to travel in, or voyage through (an unknown, or little known region) in order to add to human knowledge - to conduct a search. So in essence, every time we conduct a search, every time we try, every time we endeavour, every time we learn something, we are EXPLORING...
It doesn't matter if we are exploring at the ends of the earth, underwater, in the backyard, through a textbook, watching a documentary, or on the Web. If we are successful EXPLORERS, what is the conclusion of our EXPLORATION?

What about the word DISCOVERY? If we again refer to the dictionary, it states that DISCOVERY means: to find out, to discover the facts by EXPLORATION.

And what have we now DISCOVERED?...

We have discovered that the greatest and most exciting adventure we can ever have in life, is learning, because learning makes explorers of all of us. However, in order to DISCOVER and understand the world, we must first DISCOVER and understand ourselves.

I believe that by taking good care of nature we are in essence taking good care of ourselves. To take good care of nature, we must understand nature. We need more people dedicated to that understanding.

"Each life force has the power of its being, but the power of human being is only activated, by the power of believing." (NC 1986)

WE MUST STAND TOGETHER We need more observers. We need more recorders. We need more writers We need more photographers.
	David Bellamy and Neville Coleman at a joint presentation on the protection of Moreton Bay reefs for the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

We need a new generation of naturalists to explore, observe, study, compile and publish what's around us. We need to bring about a new awareness and fill our lives with the magic excitement of knowing. The only real treasure is living treasure, and we are custodians of the richest treasure trove in the universe - life!

Surely, a little faith in it is not too much of a burden for us to carry, or protect. Whatever the afflictions of the human race, nature has the answer. It's just a question of balance.

It is extremely important that we provide means by which national peoples in the Indo-Pacific can learn more about their marine heritage.

Having fun, family style. Loloata Island, Papua New Guinea.

ADVENTURES IN LEARNING
There is so little known and so much to learn and record in the field of marine natural history that everything must be judged as important and worthy of recording and reporting. Underwater education is still in its infancy; it offers the opportunity for like-minded people to not only share in adventure activities, but to take part in the discovery and documentation of our underwater wildlife's every existence.

The Future
The future of the world of water depends entirely on the world of humans. Unless we accept the responsibility and endeavour to change our attitudes towards its welfare today, the children of tomorrow will only mirror our ignorance. They deserve a better inheritance - after all, they have to live with, and attempt to correct our mistakes. They can only do this if we give them a legacy worthy of their belief.

We must make peace with nature and heal the wounds of centuries. We must accept the responsibilities of our ignorance and endeavour to change our eternally bad habits. We must alter our attitudes and understand that this war with nature cannot be allowed to go any further.

Knowledge is like a flight of steps through the evolution of time. We cannot begin to climb unless someone, somewhere builds the first step. Others come along at later stages and using the first step add their own knowledge and build another step. And so it goes on.

"However, before we can learn about things we must first have a reference point, a description, a name, for only then does relevance exist and knowledge begin." N.C. 1980

In a lifetime of contributing to the steps of knowledge I may not have always been 100 per cent right, acted with discretion, or majored in the role of diplomacy. Perhaps the job I set myself as explorer, enthusiast, educator and conserver were too idealistic for the measure of one. Maybe so, but as I endeavoured, my aspirations inspired many others and between us a reason was created, a most important reason.

"The putting of nature, back, into human nature..." - only love can do it! Please, share our journey.

Education Project Schools Education Project Santo, Vanuatu . PADI Seal Team Education Project 40 books were also sent to PADI to help out with their "Seal Team" project, educating youngsters into the realms of underwater.

The Beginning! Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef.