Issue 68 - January 2021

Coexisting with Nature During a Worldwide Pandemic

By Kevin Majoros

a group of swimmers in the water during the sunset

The practice venues for competitive pool swimmers have controlled environments that allow for participants to train without interruption.

a group of swimmer are standing in the garden

There are wave-resistant lane lines, pace clocks, a black line on the bottom to help swimmers swim straight and a coach on deck overseeing the practice. The water temperature is set to the perfect number and the chemical balance of the water is tested hourly.

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic hit hard in the Delmarva Peninsula in March of 2020, and one by one every single pool was closed due to safety precautions.

Competitive pool swimmers who train multiple times per week year round, found themselves without options to pursue the sport they love.

Less than one month into the pandemic, a group of swimmers in the Washington, D.C. area began planning a return to training in the only water that was available to them – the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. For many, it would be the first time that they ventured into an uncontrolled swimming environment. For all, it would be a lesson on learning the value of what nature has to offer.

a group of swimmers are swimming next to a boat in a river

swimming are walking on a deck next to a river for swimming

Learning Lessons in Nature

The group found a home base at a local swimmer’s house in Annapolis, Maryland on the South River and a second location at another swimmer’s house on the nearby Rhode River.

They quickly grew to over 100 swimmers from D.C., Maryland and Virginia and the questions started on day one.

What marine life is living in the water? What are the bacteria levels? What is the temperature?

All of those questions were answered with internet searches and knowledge from the host swimmers, but the questions evolved as the seasons changed.

The temperature rose, the marine life hatched, and hurricane season arrived for one of its biggest years.

swimmers are walking on street to a creek house for discussion

The group, who dubbed themselves The South River Stingers, would spend the next seven months swimming four days per week in an uncontrolled environment that would result in a new awareness for the nature that had surrounded them all along.

After each swim, the Stingers gathered in their makeshift locker room on a front lawn and discussed what they just experienced. Each discussion raised environmental topics that most city dwellers do not even consider in their daily life.

Benefitting from the Work of Local Environmental Groups

One thing that became apparent on the first day of swimming for the Stingers was the quality of the water. To reach their pier entry on Duvall Creek, the group passed through a rain garden that is maintained by local environmental groups.

a group of people are sitting in a garden with social distancing precaution for discussion

Different from a common flower garden, a rain garden captures polluted stormwater and is created by making depressions in the landscape to promote stormwater infiltration and reduce stormwater runoff.

The native plants, trees and shrubs planted in a rain garden help absorb some of the stormwater, including excess nutrients that can aid in the decline of water quality in the waterways.

After swimming through Duvall Creek, the Stingers held their practices in an open basin in the South River where they swam laps between two buoys. The basin was surrounded by living shorelines.

Living shorelines provide shoreline stabilization by working with the wave energy on the rivers and creeks to prevent erosion and provide vital habitat for animals such as terrapins and horseshoe crabs. The shorelines are stabilized with native shrubs and grasses and also provide important nesting and feeding areas for shorebirds and other wildlife.

After multiple visits to the neighboring Rhode River where the Stingers circumnavigated several islands, the group began a series of adventure swims down the coast of the South River to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

a bird nest in the wild next to a river above the tree

During those swims, they came upon a new beach that was being created on Smiths Island with a living shoreline. The dredging to create the beach is part of the Poplar Island Restoration Project.

The Poplar Island Restoration Project is an effort to rebuild the eroding island and establish a wide range of habitats, including nesting islands, tidal wetlands, open water ponds and forested uplands. Once complete, the island will provide valuable habitat for birds, crabs, fish, and shellfish. Its wetlands will also serve as a natural filter to help improve water quality throughout the Chesapeake Bay.

a group of swimmers are standing on the beach

Taking the Time to Enjoy Nature

The swimmers encountered numerous types of marine life during their swims including Chesapeake blue crabs, horseshoe crabs, cownose rays, oysters, and multiple types of jellyfish.

a selfie of a group of swimmer in the lake

Despite receiving as many as twenty jellyfish stings in each practice, they returned each day because the rest of the experience was offering something they had not expected.

Sarah Dammeyer grew up on nearby Spa Creek and says that spending time in nature was always put on the back burner. She started swimming with the Stingers with a solid fear of jellyfish and whatever was living on the bottom of the waterways.

“This started out as an experiment for me and I didn’t have high expectations. After trying to control everything in my daily life at home, this was a surrender to whatever was going to happen,” says Dammeyer. “Being immersed in Mother Nature made me feel small and insignificant and that was comforting to me. Each day was a different and unique experience and I felt more independent and empowered.”

José Cunningham says he cannot stop talking about his experiences in the river. Raised in Santa Monica, California, he did not consider himself to be the kind of person that would commit to spending so much time in nature.

“I am so involved in my work in politics that this experience is not something I would normally consider. Recent trips to Alaska and Africa planted the seed and helped to change my mind,” says Cunningham. “I loved being in tune with my immediate surroundings and connecting with swimmers I would not have known otherwise. We all shared a bond in nature and took the time to appreciate what we were experiencing.”

a man posting is standing next to a river and getting ready for night swim

Growing up in Northern California, Ellen Wertheimer swam in lakes and the Pacific Ocean. She had no reservations about jumping in and immersing herself in the experience.

“I was taking everything in during each swim – the sun glinting off the water, the osprey flying over and diving, and the way the water opened up at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. It felt really infinite,” says Wertheimer. “I connected to a new place in a really deep way. It was like making a new friend.”

Check out Delmarva Peninsula environmental groups online:

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Issue 68 - January 2021

SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – January 2021 – Issue 68

How to volunteer your way to a holiday in Queensland

Exploring a different corner of the world on a holiday is something that’s guaranteed to leave you with lifelong memories. But spending some of your vacation time giving back will take the experience to a whole new level. Read more…

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Coexisting with Nature During a Worldwide Pandemic

Smiths Island Dredging Living Shorelines Swimmers

The practice venues for competitive pool swimmers have controlled environments that allow for participants to train without interruption. There are wave-resistant lane lines, pace clocks, a black line on the bottom to help swimmers swim straight and a coach on deck overseeing the practice. Read more…

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Green Fins Environmental Materials Now Available in Arabic and Japanese

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of Green Fins – along with the Chamber of Diving & Watersports (CDWS) and the SDGs Promotion Secretariat (Onna Village Office in Okinawa) is pleased to announce Arabic and Japanese-speaking dive and snorkel operators can now benefit from environmental resources in their first language. Read more…

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How Conservatives Can Embrace GreenEnergy During The Biden Administration

Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election is being seen as a positive development by those who favor renewable forms of energy over fossil fuels. The Trump administration has moved to reverse over 100 climate and environmental rules, considering them burdensome to the fossil fuel industry. Read more…

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HIDDEN: Animals in the Anthropocene Features 40 International Photojournalists and Foreword by Joaquin Phoenix

An unflinching new book of photography documenting our relationship with non-human animals was released today, featuring the work of 40 international photojournalists and a foreword by Academy Award-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix. Read more…

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Wildfire Orphans, Captain Cal & Adopted Sisters, to Depart Soon for New Home at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

“Captain Cal” by the Cal Fire firefighters who found him limping down a burned-out road in Redding on September 30, 2020, the severely burned orphaned mountain lion cub is now fully recovered, 47 days after he was first rushed to Oakland Zoo’s veterinary hospital by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW). Read more…

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Sabah-Based Dive Operator Wins Global Diving Award!

Sabah-based dive operator, Scuba Junkie, has won ‘Best Scuba Diving Dive Centre or Resort in the World for 2020’ in the prestigious Dive Magazine’s annual Travel Awards. The Travel Awards are chosen by votes from readers worldwide, with Scuba Junkie topping a poll that involved more than 1,000 operators from all over the globe. Read more…

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Feature Destination: How to fit Queensland’s top 8 marine life encounters into just 5 days

Home to 1625 species of fish, not to mention sea turtles, whales and dolphins, the Great Barrier Reef is a place where the best of Queensland marine life encounters are pretty much guaranteed. With 2300km of coral reef stretching from Bundaberg all the way up to Cape York to explore, you might be wondering where to begin – or how much time you’ll need to see it all. Read more…

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Australian Scientists Discover 500 Meter Tall Coral Reef in The Great Barrier Reef – First to be Discovered in Over 120 Years

Scientists have discovered a massive detached coral reef in the Great Barrier Reef–the first to be discovered in over 120 years, Schmidt Ocean Institute announced today. Measuring more than 500m high–taller than the Empire State Building, the Sydney Tower, and the Petronas Twin Towers–the reef was discovered by Australian scientists aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor, currently on a 12-month exploration of the ocean surrounding Australia. Read more…

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Bobtail Squid – Jack’s January Underwater Photograph

There is a whole different world underwater, one filled with enchanting and otherworldly flora and fauna. It’s one of the reasons why we love scuba diving. One of the many unique sea creatures that you may run into is the bobtail squid, which can be found in the shallow coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean as well as parts of the Indian Ocean. Read more…

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The Narrow Edge: A Tiny Bird, an Ancient Crab, and an Epic Journey by Deborah Cramer

In the award-winning The Narrow Edge, author Deborah Cramer accompanies tiny, endangered shorebirds along their extraordinary migration from one end of the earth to the other, witnessing the challenges the birds face along an increasingly congested and fragile shore, and how their lives, and ours, depend on an ancient animal, the horseshoe crab. Read more…

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Interview with Maui Marine Scientist Darla White

While acting as the Special Projects Coordinator of Maui’s Division of Aquatic Resources, marine scientist Darla White met to chat at Sip Me – a local coffee shop in Upcountry Maui – to talk about her efforts to promote coral reef health, what it’s like to be part of the island’s scientific community, and what thrills her about fish. Read more…

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Visiting Bangkok’s Pata Zoo, now known for Cher’s attempt to rehome resident gorilla.

Cher recently made a plea for the rehoming of the gorilla Bua Noi. Brought to Thailand in 1988, the gorilla lived nearly her entire life behind bars and glass in this dilapidated zoo above a shopping mall in Bangkok. I first heard about the Pata Zoo a few years ago and in an effort to bring more attention to it, I showed up with my Sony Alpha camera hidden in my bag. Read more…

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The most beautiful beaches in Queensland

As a state with 6,973 km of coastline, it’s safe to say, we have no shortage of Queensland beaches for you to explore. What our beaches share in common – sun, salt and sand – are also worlds apart in their differences. Read more…

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The Incredible, Recent, Global Rise in the Stranding of Marine Mammals

During late September 2020, Australia experienced the largest mass stranding of whales in the history of that country. Two weeks later, during early October, the stranding of 7,000 cape fur seals on the coast of Namibia was identified as a major marine mammal stranding event. Disturbingly, this was followed one month later by 100 pilot whales beaching themselves on the coast of Sri Lanka. Read more…

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Fish Carcasses Deliver Toxic Mercury Pollution to The Deepest Ocean Trenches

The sinking carcasses of fish from near-surface waters deliver toxic mercury pollution to the most remote and inaccessible parts of the world’s oceans, including the deepest spot of them all: the 36,000-foot-deep Mariana Trench in the northwest Pacific. Read more…

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Will Fall Travels Be Possible This Year? A Coronavirus Update

As of right now, everything is a bit up in the air. We don’t know what the next month will bring as the coronavirus pandemic continues to flare up in certain areas of the country and calm down in others. However, we are hopeful about traveling in the fall. Read more…

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Oceans: An Overlooked Oasis

Conservation is a curious thing. I wish it weren’t necessary, even if that did put me out of a job. Unfortunately, the human race is exploiting nature for everything it’s worth, putting profit before the planet. Overconsumption of wild habitats, animals and natural resources has pushed ecosystems and biodiversity to the brink of collapse. Read more…

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Domestic, Green-Rated Salmon Making its way to West Coast Grocery Stores

Lusamerica Foods, a major seafood wholesaler in the Western United States, started distributing green-rated, domestic salmon to over 200 grocery stores in California. The salmon producer, Atlantic Sapphire, has been raising Atlantic salmon in land-based tanks since 2010 out of their Denmark plant, however, they have since built an additional production centre in Miami, FL. Read more…

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OMA to design Miami Beach’s First Underwater Public Sculpture Park and Artificial Reef in 2021

BlueLab Preservation Society reveals plans for The ReefLine, a new 7-mile underwater public sculpture park, snorkel trail, and artificial reef located off Miami Beach’s shoreline. The large-scale environmental public art project has been conceived by cultural placemaker Ximena Caminos who will serve as the project’s Artistic Director. Read more…

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The FREE Weekly Conservation Post and Jobs List

Signing up for the free Weekly Newsletter & Jobs List will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.

To sign up for our free subscription, please Click Here or email us Here.

Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.

Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email us Here.

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Issue 68 - January 2021

How to volunteer your way to a holiday in Queensland

By Kim Barnard

Queensland, boasting a beautiful, vast landscape, offers a range of unique volunteer experiences which allow you to put your skills to good use while also exploring the beautiful sights and experiences the region offers.

If you’re looking for ways to give while you’re away, this guide will help; it’s all about how to volunteer while on holiday.

Keep Australia Clean

Removing debris and litter from in and around the magical Whitsunday waters is a life-saving task that can be done with Eco Barge Clean Seas.

This not-for-profit organisation has removed over 200,000 kilograms of pollution from the Whitsunday region since 2009. Not only do they eliminate objects that harm marine life and damage their ecosystem, but they recycle and transform ocean plastics to reduce landfill entirely. Plus, they nurture sick and injured marine turtles back to prime health.

Founder, Libby Edge is dedicated to protecting and preserving the marine environment so generations to come can enjoy its beauty. Libby established Eco Barge Clean Seas after learning about the devastating effects that marine debris has on the residents of the sea.

To volunteer for one of their barge trips (as part of the Whitsunday Marine Debris Removal Program), head to their website and fill out your details. The barge, which holds up to 10 volunteers at a time, will take you to known impacted bays and beaches. Expect to pick up approximately 300 kilograms of debris during the trip!

Note: morning tea and lunch is provided.

Dig for Dinosaurs

The Australian Age of Dinosaurs is a museum in Winton, Queensland that not only displays the incredible animals of the past, but lets the public get up close and personal with them. It’s one of the few places in the world that offers this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Join the team in the Fossil Preparation Laboratory and spend the day prepping real dinosaur fossils for display. Prep-a-dino over two days, with a mate, for just $169 per person; this package includes a guided tour of the laboratory, collection room and dinosaur canyon. Plus, a one-year membership to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs society. If two days isn’t enough, why not opt for 10? After completing 10 days of preparation and training with the museum, you’ll become an Honorary Technician. This package, starting at $729, can be enjoyed over non-consecutive days.

Dive with Whales

If you’re a keen diver and want to meet dwarf minke whales, then sign yourself up for a volunteer experience with Mike Ball Dive Expeditions.

Not only will you be able to swim with these amazing animals in the Great Barrier Reef (it’s the only place in the world where you can), but you can contribute to research by collecting data on whale observations and sharing photos to the database.

Cairns is the departure point for these unforgettable scuba diving expeditions. Whether you choose the three-, four- or seven-day trip, you’ll have the time of your life witnessing the incredible biodiversity that lies in the incredible underwater world.

Check out this guide for other ways to help the Great Barrier Reef.

Have Some Turtle Time

When it’s turtle season (from November to March), the Mon Repos rockery near Bundaberg can always use an extra set of hands to help the newborn loggerheads reach their ocean home.

You don’t need any specific qualifications to take part in this very special experience, just a commitment to donate one night per week. As well as helping the rangers with visitor groups and turtle research, you might be called on to staff the entrance and souvenir shop, provide information to visitors and run the children’s activities.

Be a wildlife warrior

Head to Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast to help this conservation destination in its daily duties.

Volunteers learn new skills, gain an exclusive look into being a zookeeper, and meet some amazing animals and people. Choose from being a Keeper or a Customer Relations Volunteer; as a Keeper, your tasks will range from cleaning and maintenance, food preparation, animal observation, assisting keepers, and interacting with visitors at the daily Wildlife Warrior Colosseum Show. As a Customer Relations Volunteer, you’ll get to welcome visitors, answer people’s questions and help them navigate the zoo, and assist with guided tours, regular promotional events and children’s activities.

Live like a local

WWOOF is a worldwide movement bringing volunteers and organic farmers/growers together, to promote building a sustainable global community.

Travel around Australia living and learning on a host farm (for free!). For 4-to-6 hours a day you’ll be able to work on a functioning farm and perfect your organic practices.

Note: Before you become a WWOOFer, ensure your travel insurance is up to date as medical assistance in Australia can be very pricey.

Join a bush tribe

If you’re over 18, register as a volunteer with Bush Heritage Australia to be notified of roles going in the beautiful bushland.

Bush Heritage Australia is an independent not-for-profit organisation that buys and manages land, and partners with Aboriginal people to preserve our landscapes and irreplaceable native species.

As a volunteer, there’s a plethora of tasks you can work on. Reserve tasks range from caretaking, grounds and building maintenance, fencing, feral animal control, weed control, ecological monitoring and other ongoing land management activities. Office tasks include research, administration, fundraising, events and other important projects.

Click here to learn more.

Feature Destination

How to fit Queensland’s top 8 marine life encounters into just 5 days

By Laura Walls

Home to 1625 species of fish, not to mention sea turtles, whales and dolphins, the Great Barrier Reef is a place wherethe best of Queensland marine life encounters are pretty much guaranteed.

With 2300km of coral reef stretching from Bundaberg all the way up to Cape York to explore, you might be wondering where to begin – or how much time you’ll need to see it all. The good news is that seeing the best of the reef doesn’t require a big-time commitment. If you’re looking to pack a lot into a short space of time, try this marine-life spotting mini-break on for size.

Meet the Great 8

Kicking off in Hervey Bay and wrapping up in Port Douglas, this five-day itinerary will take you on a journey of discovery in search of Queensland’s Great 8. A checklist of the reef’s rarest and most spectacular marine creatures, the Great 8 features whales, turtles, manta rays, clown fish, sharks, potato cod, Maori wrasse and the giant clam. Get ready to experience nature at her jaw-dropping best.

Day 1: Go in search of whales in Hervey Bay

From Brisbane, hop on a quick 50-minute flight or take the scenic three-and-a-half-hour drive north to arrive in Hervey Bay, Australia’s whale-watching capital. This laidback seaside town was recently crowned the world’s first whale heritage area and considered – with good reason. Each year, more than 20,000 humpback whales and their newborn calves travel along Australia’s eastern coast on their annual migration. Hervey Bay’s warm, protected waters provide a natural nursery where mother whales teach their calves to socialise and play, making it a wildlife spotter’s dream. You’ll be able to spot them breaching and tail-slapping from the shore during whale watching season (July to October) – but for a more up-close experience, jump aboard a day tour with Tasman Venture. If the conditions are right, you may even be lucky enough to swim alongside them. (Queensland is one of just a handful of places worldwide where this is possible). Hervey Bay is known for its lively local dining scene, so wrap up your day with dinner at one of the town’s many restaurants and cafes.

Day 2: Snorkel with giant turtles and potato cod at Lady Elliot Island

a turtle is swimming in the coral reef around Lady Elliot Island

Your base for the next few days is Lady Elliot Island, a coral cay off the coast of Bundaberg in a conservation Green Zone. Home to sea turtles, manta rays and much more, it’s one of Queensland’s best locations for marine life encounters. From Hervey Bay, take the 40-minute scenic flight across the bay (a trip highlight in its own right) to arrive at the award-winning Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort. Travelling with kids? Don’t miss the resort’s Reef Rangers program. Budding conservationists will love learning all about Lady Elliot’s incredible marine ecosystem and the work being done to protect the reef. After lunch, grab your mask and snorkel and head for the island’s eastern lagoon. Be sure to check out the lagoon’s far-left corner: the favourite hangout place of an enormous potato cod. Next, head to the western side of the island. Explore coral ledges and underwater valleys as you swim among hawksbill and green turtles, as well as schools of shimmering fish. Tip: for even more turtle-spotting action, visit between November and April. This is nesting and hatching season when mama turtles lay their eggs and baby hatchlings scuttle down to the sea.

Day 3: Meet manta rays and Maori wrasse on a scuba adventure

Today will see you tick two more iconic marine creatures off your list. First up: manta rays. Hop aboard a dive boat to the Anchor Bommie site, just a short distance off the island’s south-west coast, for the chance to swim alongside these gentle giants. Marvel at their graceful movements as they cruise around and above you, using their enormous wings to glide effortlessly through the water. Next stop is Maori Wrasse Bommie, named after the family of giant Maori Wrasse that calls the area home. With their bright blue and yellow markings and impressive size, they’re impossible to miss. Famously friendly, Maori Wrasse rarely passes up the opportunity to say hello – so bring your waterproof camera for an underwater selfie.

Day 4: Get up close to sharks Townsville (without getting wet)

You’ll need to get an early start today, because it’s time to wave goodbye to Lady Elliot and set your sights on Townsville. From Bundaberg you can choose to fly (via Brisbane) or take the epic 1000km, 11 hour scenic drive up the coast.While in Townsville, don’t miss the chance to brush up on your reef knowledge at Reef HQ: the world’s largest living coral reef aquarium. Wander through the underwater reef tunnel to experience life under the waves without getting wet. (It’s perfect for little ones who haven’t mastered the art of snorkelling yet). Don’t miss the daily shark feeding show for the chance to see these sleek and efficient predators in action.

Day 5: Spot tiny clownfish and giant clams in Tropical North Queensland

Today’s final destination is Port Douglas: the gateway to exploring the Outer Reef. Take the short flight to Cairns and continue on to Port Douglas by road (the journey takes around an hour). Alternatively, put your trip on pause and spend a day (or more) exploring Cairns and its surrounding beaches and reef. Keen to get back on the water? Check out the boat trip options at Sunlover Reef Tours. For expert insights into reef ecology, sign up to their Marine Biologist for a Day program. Your day includes a guided snorkel safari as well as a practical session on how to analyse coral health and look for signs of environmental impact. Combine it with their Astronomer for a Night tour and spend the night stargazing 50kms off the coast of Cairns. If you’re cruising on to Port Douglas, head to buzzing Macrossan Street on arrival to refuel (The Little Larder is a local favourite). Then, it’s time to explore the underwater world of the Outer Reef. Discover the weird and wonderful marine life that inhabit the bommies and coral cays of Agincourt Reef aboard Silversonic, Quicksilver Cruises’ high-speed dive catamaran. For the best chance of spotting giant clams, parrotfish and Maori Wrasse, head to The Point on the northern end of the reef. Continue north and west to reach the Three Sisters, where clownfish dart amongst the colourful sea anemones that double as their homes. Back on dry land, celebrate completing your bucket-list of Queensland marine life encounters with sunset drinks on the deck at the Tin Shed, Port Douglas.