World Oceans Day: A scuba diver's perspective

WWF

Duncans Cove is perched on the rocky shores of Nova Scotia facing the breakers that roll in. I live there at the edge of the ocean revelling in the beauty of the Atlantic seascape sitting on our doorstep: a moody sky, the fantasy world of cloud shapes, the sound of crashing waves, the distinct bracing odor of tiny algae caught in the foam, the furious breakers in a storm ripping away the beach and bringing us treasures from far away.
The ocean makes me realize on how small I really am. But what I love most is actually getting in the water in my dive suit and visiting the beautiful marine creatures that live below the surface. It’s another world!

Diving lessons from the world’s biggest fish, the whale shark.
Diving lessons from the world’s biggest fish, the whale shark.

Filter feeding at a grand scale: manta rays received protection under CITES, a major conservation success of 2013.
Filter feeding at a grand scale: manta rays received protection under CITES, a major conservation success of 2013.

Me, spying on the secret life of sea turtles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic. Most species of sea turtle are endangered.
Me, spying on the secret life of sea turtles that inhabit all of the world’s oceans except the Arctic. Most species of sea turtle are endangered.

bettina with baby turtle
I love the ocean. It’s like exploring a new world: powerful, mysterious.