By Jacqueline Uku, Kenya
My first memory of the ocean was being on a family holiday by the ocean when I was young. I remember collecting seashells and building sandcastles. At that point in time, I never looked beyond the seashore into the deep ocean, and I never realised how much more there was to the ocean beyond the seashells and the sand.
My journey in life took me to many places and eventually brought me back to the ocean. I have had the privilege of going beyond the beach and I found an amazing diverse world of seagrasses that are a home to unique creatures. When I think about this special hidden space, I want to share its secrets with everyone. I want to tell everyone about the shells on the beach that were once home to beautiful molluscs, about the sand on the beach that is made up of broken shells and bits of algae. I want to make the ocean come alive to those who have never glimpsed its beauty or its complexity.
The ocean provides me with a renewed sense of purpose and energy whenever I feel this slipping away. It has provided me with the positioning and responsibility to do more in shaping the dialogues about the ocean through leading WIOMSA and providing leadership in many other ocean related teams and platforms. I just hope that I can do my part to make the ocean matter to many more in my lifetime.
I recently encountered a mother walking her daughter to school along the beach. As I watched them playfully make their way along the edges of the ocean, I realised that they were focused on their destination. It is easy to walk on the edges of the ocean but miss out on experiencing its grandeur and magnificence. I see the Marine Spatial Planning Process as being an avenue to share the ocean with a wider community in the hope of ensuring that we can bring a deeper understanding of the value of the ocean to humankind.
The ocean has been the place that reminds me to hold on to hope and thankfulness. It gives me a sense of grandeur. Exploring its depths has helped me to look deeper into issues in order to find solutions and not just gloss over the surface. At the end of it all, I am thankful that I dared to look beyond the seashells on the seashore.
“Journeys to the Sea” is a new series of inspiring stories that highlight the personal connections of marine professionals with the ocean. As a follow up to World Oceans Day on June 8th, WIOMSA is excited to launch a three-month-long celebration dedicated to the ocean. The series will feature 34 unique stories from across the Western Indian Ocean region. These stories will share firsthand accounts of ocean-related experiences, reflections, and narratives from participants who have been part of the Sida-funded International Training Programme on marine spatial planning, “Planning for a Sustainable Blue Future in the Western Indian Ocean”. The stories have been part of the Ocean Storytelling component of the workshop, led by Dr Mia Strand, Nelson Mandela University. Read the collection of stories here.
Feature image: Shells on the beach of Tsitsikamma Marine Park, Western Cape, South Africa. © Peter Chadwick
