It’s well known that human activity is pushing our oceans to the limit. But there are still stories that give us hope, that show people and animals can live in harmony when given the chance…
Freediver Saves Trapped Dolphin
Enzo Maiorca was a famous Italian freediver who died in 2016. His life story was depicted in one of our all-time favourite films, Luc Besson’s 1988 Le Grand Bleu (The Big Blue). Despite setting 17 world records during his career, he is more well-known recently for a story about him saving the life of a stricken dolphin.
In 2009, he was diving off the coast of Syracuse with his daughter and a dive team. While descending into the murky depths, Enzo felt a gentle nudge on his back. Turning around, he was faced by a dolphin pleading for help.
Following the dolphin’s lead, Enzo found a second dolphin trapped in an abandoned fishing net far beneath the surface. Without hesitation, Enzo cut the net loose. The moment the dolphin was freed, it released a sound Enzo would later describe as an “almost human cry.”
When the freed dolphin reached the surface, the dive team realised she was pregnant. Just moments later, she gave birth in open water, before swimming away with her grateful family intact. Enzo later reflected:
“Until man learns to respect and speak to the natural world, he can never truly understand his place on this Earth.”
Original story courtesy of @davidattenborough_fans
Helping an Octopus Find a Better Home
Pall Sigurdsson and some friends were diving off the stunning coast of Indonesia when they came across a Coconut Octopus who seemed a touch confused. The little guy had used a plastic cup as protection against predators, instead of the discarded shells this species of octopus would normally use, unaware that the cup was transparent.
Unwilling to leave the octopus to its fate, Sigurdsson and his friends pushed their air supplies to the limit, searching for discarded shells to offer the octopus to see if he would swap the cup for a more natural option.
Just when their air was about to run out, the octopus took a liking to a clamshell the group had found and swapped it for the cup. We love a happy ending!
Original story courtesy of The Dodo
Turtle Saved by Our Friends at CRAM
We’ve recently been proudly supporting local marine conservationists CRAM, an organisation that rescues marine animals, nurses them back to full health, and then releases them into their natural habitats.
Their most recent success story is a heartwarming one. A turtle named Mercè was accidentally caught by a local Mediterranean fisherman who, rather than tossing the potentially injured animal back in the sea, decided to share a boat ride with the turtle back to the harbour, where he called the experts at CRAM.
After thanking the fisherman for his kindness, the CRAM team took the traumatised Mercè for a mini turtle spa and health check to ensure she was fit to be released back to the wild. Then, in June, they did just that. These are the pictures of Mercè being set free by rightfully delighted volunteers.
Original story from CRAM
Want to help CRAM save more turtles and other sea creatures? Our Blue Community have the option to donate to CRAM at checkout when they place a slow fashion TWOTHIRDS order.
Sometimes Animals are the Saviours
While there are lots of stories of humans saving animals, albeit from threats created by human activity in the first place, there are also plenty of tales of animals rushing to the aid of people in need. Kevin Hines is a perfect example. Suffering from mental health issues at the age of 19, Kevin jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge.
He miraculously survived the impact with the water but found himself fighting for his life, struggling to stay afloat. Suddenly, something touched his leg. Fearing it was a shark, he kicked out until he realised that a friendly sea lion was nudging him back to the surface each time he sank.
Original story from:
https://www.psychalive.org/sea-lion-saves-life-golden-gate-bridge/
His story was almost too incredible to believe, but it was confirmed by onlookers who captured the dramatic events, as the sea lion (not a shark) saved Kevin’s life. Wow!
We Need Them More Than They Need Us
What’s clear is that when humans care for ocean habitats by keeping them clear of plastic and chemical waste, marine animals do not require us to be their saviours; in fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Humans, on the other hand, are entirely dependent on ocean ecosystems and sea life. They clean our air, provide nutritious food, and cool our planet, while also giving us a helping flipper or fin when we need it most.
