Feature Destination
SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – April 2023 – Issue 95

Feature Destination
Discover the Charm of Prince Edward Island: Your Ultimate Destination for Adventure and Relaxation

Prince Edward Island is one of Canada’s smallest provinces, situated on the country’s eastern coast. Despite its small size, this island is an incredibly charming and beautiful destination that offers visitors a unique experience. From its stunning beaches and picturesque countryside to its rich history and culture, Prince Edward Island is an excellent choice for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life. Read more…
The Cape Breton Marine Refuge Eastern Canyons
The waters off the coast of Nova Scotia are rich in marine life, making them a popular destination for commercial fishing. However, concerns over the sustainability of these fishing practices have led to the establishment of a marine refuge in the Eastern Canyons region. Read more…
Five New Reasons to Visit New Brunswick, Canada This Summer
Known for its vast untouched wilderness and more than 3,000 miles of coastline, New Brunswick, Canada is filled with adventures around every corner. Located just over the Maine border, the Atlantic Canada province offers a convenient destination for travellers looking to get off the beaten path. Read more…
Feature Destination: Ocean Conservation in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia, a beautiful province on the east coast of Canada, has a rich marine biodiversity that needs to be preserved and protected for future generations and to maintain the balance of surrounding ecosystems. Read more…
SEVENSEAS’s March 2023 Beach Clean Up at Pan Beach in Krabi, Thailand

On March 25, 2023, we hosted our monthly beach clean up, and it was a success with the participation of 14 volunteers. The group covered up to a 400m stretch of beach, and they were able to pick up 60kg of trash from the beach. Most of the waste collected during the event were food wrappers and small plastic bits that were mixed with the sand and hidden in the vegetation, which made the cleaning process slow and tedious. See more…
SEVENSEAS Media is Working on Coral Restoration in Krabi, Thailand to Protect Marine Ecosystems

SEVENSEAS Media is excited to announce our latest conservation event in Krabi, Thailand – the coral restoration. As an online publication that strives to inspire conservation through education and engagement, we are committed to doing our part in protecting our planet’s ecosystems. With coral reefs under increasing threat from human activity and climate change, we feel it is more important than ever to take action to preserve these vital marine ecosystems. Read more…
NEWSROOM
Northern & Southern Resident Orcas Hunt Differently, Which May Help Explain The Decline of Southern Orcas

In the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, scientists have been sounding the alarm about the plight of southern resident orcas. Annual counts show that population numbers, already precarious, have fallen back to mid-1970s levels. Most pregnancies end in miscarriage or death of the newborn. Read more…
2023 Event Planning Toolkit & Action Focus for World Ocean Day
World Ocean Day provides a unique opportunity for a wide array of organizations, schools, businesses, and communities to honour and celebrate the ocean that connects us all! By uniting together, and with a special emphasis on engaging and connecting youth. Read more…
Endangered Baby Turtle & Juvenile Bamboo Shark Release at Anantara Phuket Resorts
Anantara Layan Phuket Resort and Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas will celebrate this Thai New Year by releasing young turtles and juvenile bamboo sharks back into the ocean on April 13th & 14th. Anantara’s serene Layan and Mai Khao Phuket beaches offer secluded stretches of sand and sea. Read more…
New England Aquarium & Boston Harbor City Cruises to Offer New Ecoventure Cruise Experience
Boston Harbor City Cruises (BHCC), in partnership with the New England Aquarium, will offer a new cruise—the New England Aquarium Ecoventure Cruise—providing guests an up-close experience with marine life while protecting the whales who call these waters home. Read more…
A Global Resource: The Whale Watching Handbook
The whale-watching industry, regulators, policymakers and the general public can all benefit from the Whale Watching Handbook, a website dedicated to sustainable and educational whale watching. Read more…
Marine Heatwaves Decimate Sea Urchins, Molluscs & More at Rottnest
Tonga is a unique destination because it serves as the mating and calving grounds for endangered humpback whales. Every year, from July through November, the whales migrate from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to Tonga’s calm, tropical waters to give birth to their calves and mate. Read more…
Rebalancing Bermuda’s Ecosystem A Solution for Carbon Sequestration and Biodiversity Conservation
Seagrass ecosystems can sequester significant amounts of carbon and store it as organic carbon in sedim4ent for long periods, making them one of the most significant natural carbon sinks globally. They account for a minimal proportion of the world’s oceans at less than 0.2%. Read more…
Making The Case for Public Health Storytelling in Global Ocean Conservation
A recent literature review published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health makes a case for the use of public health framing to communicate issues facing marine and coastal ecosystems and inspire action from human communities all over the world to achieve the outcomes defined as part of the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Read more…
Tech Startup, Hohonu, Raises $1.8M to Better Respond & Adapt to Flooding & Climate Change on Global Scale
Hohonu, an award-winning Hawaiʻi-based climate tech startup, announced it has completed a $1.8 million pre-seed funding round to scale its efforts to provide actionable data and insights to mitigate coastal flooding both nationally and internationally including Asia and the Pacific. Read more…
Schmidt Ocean Institute Launches New Research Vessel That Will Change The Face of Ocean Exploration

San Juan, Puerto Rico – Schmidt Ocean Institute launched today its newly refitted 110-meter global-class research vessel for use by scientists worldwide to dramatically advance marine science and push the frontiers of deep-sea expeditions. Read more…
Climate Change Could Cause Mass Exodus of Tropical Plankton

The tropical oceans are home to the most diverse plankton populations on Earth, where they form the base of marine food chains. Modern plankton biodiversity in the tropics is a surprisingly recent development and the result of 8 million years of global cooling, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. Read more…
New Research Paper Reveals There’re More Than 170 Trillion Pieces of Platic Afloat in The World’s Oceans

A research paper published today in PLOS ONE reveals there are more than 170 trillion plastic particles, weighing approximately 2 million tonnes, afloat in the world’s oceans. By evaluating trends of ocean plastic from 1979 to 2019. Read more…
SEVENSEAS Beach Cleanup & Coral Restoration Events in Marine Protected Areas














In August 2022 CleanUp, we picked up over 80 kilograms of plastic, pieces of glasses, tractor tyres, and fishing nets from the beach in Krabi, Long Beach or Pan Beach. Of course, we would not be able to do it without your support. You can make a tax-deductible donation here to keep our publications and Thailand Cleanup Project afloat.
You can either make a direct financial contribution to SEVENSEAS Media through The Ocean Foundation website or connect us with potential donors by sending an email to Giacomo Abrusci, our Editor-in-Chief.
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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.
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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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Feature Destination
Feature Destination: A Conservationist’s Reflection on Family, Biodiversity, and Restoration in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is one of the few countries I’ve returned to repeatedly over the last twenty or so years. Each visit has reinforced why this small Central American nation continues to hold a special place in my heart. As a conservationist, I’ve long admired its bold environmental policies, its ability to restore vast areas of degraded land, and the extraordinary biodiversity that thrives here. But what draws me back just as strongly is the feeling that Costa Rica gives you: the quiet assurance that another world is possible, one where people and nature can coexist with purpose and respect.
I had the chance to experience Costa Rica in a new way, traveling with three generations of my family. My husband, my sister and her family, and our aging parents all came together for what we knew would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip. My sister chose Costa Rica not only because of its beauty, but also because it felt manageable for a multigenerational vacation. It’s safe, accessible, and well set up for travelers of all ages. We also understood it would be expensive, but for the chance to travel together as a full family, the investment was worth it.
We started our journey in San José, where my husband and I stayed in a homestay with a Costa Rican grandmother. She greeted us with warmth, fed us incredible meals, and gave us our first taste, quite literally, of the hospitality this country is known for. From there, we headed to Quepos on the Pacific coast, where my sister had rented an Airbnb home. It was the perfect setup with a space for all of us to gather, cook, relax, and look out over a small deck that faced what appeared to be pure jungle. The view was mesmerizing. We later learned that only a few decades ago, the entire landscape had been logged and used for farmland or extraction. But thanks to Costa Rica’s climate and commitment to restoration, nature had returned with full force. You’d never know it had once been stripped bare.
Every morning, we gathered on that deck before sunrise with coffee in hand to watch the forest awaken. Birds darted through the trees: tanagers, flycatchers, motmots, flickering colors between the leaves. For a family of nature lovers, those quiet hours became some of the most meaningful and memorable moments of the entire trip.
Quepos gave us easy access to both the coast and the rainforest. We hiked in the nearby parks, explored waterfalls, we stumbled on eco-tours of chocolate-making, coffee farming, and sustainable agriculture. The excursions were varied and accessible. Canopy walks, guided nature trails, and small boat rides. Costa Rica’s dynamic geography from the mountains, coasts, volcanoes, and rainforests means you don’t have to travel far to experience completely different ecosystems.
Although my husband and I skipped diving this time to stay together as a family, we did take a longer boat ride to a more remote patch of primary forest. I believe we were on the edge of the Osa Peninsula or near Corcovado National Park, which is known as one of the most biologically intense places on Earth. The experience reminded me again how rare it is to be able to witness truly untouched rainforest.
Every meal we ate was exceptional. With such a strong agricultural foundation, the food was consistently fresh, flavorful, and locally grown. Pineapple, avocado, coffee, papaya, rice, and beans, all vibrant and prepared with pride. Costa Rica’s commitment to sustainable agriculture shows in the taste of what ends up on your plate.
Beyond the beauty and comfort, what continues to impress me most is Costa Rica’s national commitment to conservation. Despite being only about 51,000 square kilometers in size, Costa Rica is home to more than 500,000 species, about 5% of the world’s biodiversity, thanks to its location at the intersection of North and South America. The diversity includes iconic species like the resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), Baird’s tapir (Tapirus bairdii), jaguars (Panthera onca), and endangered sea turtles like the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), which nests on the Caribbean coast in places like Tortuguero National Park.
Costa Rica has not only preserved what it has, it has reversed damage from generations of less sustainable development. In the 1980s, deforestation was rampant, with forest cover reduced to about 21%. But thanks to a range of government policies, including the 1997 launch of the Payment for Environmental Services (PES) program, forest cover has increased to over 50% as of the 2010s, and as of 2022 forests covered approximately 60.1% of the country’s land area, according to the World Bank. The PES program rewards landowners for keeping forests intact, recognizing the economic value of ecosystem services such as carbon capture, water filtration, and biodiversity protection. Much of this work is administered through MINAE (the Ministry of Environment and Energy), and its subsidiary agencies like SINAC, FONAFIFO, and CONAGEBIO.
The country has also turned its attention toward marine conservation, with over 30% of its territorial waters now designated as marine protected areas (MPAs). These include coral reefs, mangroves, and marine corridors vital for species like sharks, whales, and sea turtles. Organizations like the MarViva Foundation have been instrumental in managing these MPAs, particularly around the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
Folks from Costa Rica, also called Ticos, have the reputation of being affectionately warm, proud, and deeply connected to the land. You quickly learn the phrase “Pura Vida” is more than a slogan. It’s a mindset, an expression of gratitude, resilience, and appreciation for life’s simple gifts. It’s said as a greeting, a farewell, a thank-you, and always with a smile.
Traveling here, you’ll find that Costa Rica is not only logistically easy, but emotionally and intellectually enriching. Whether you’re a solo traveler, a couple, or a multigenerational family like us, there’s something for everyone. The country is incredibly welcoming to people of all backgrounds, and it’s one of the safest places in Central America to visit.
If you’re planning a trip, the best advice is to decide what kind of experience you’re looking for. Do you want to immerse yourself in the jungle? Lounge on the beach? Explore volcanoes? Stay in a city and do day trips? Or do a bit of everything? There’s no single way to “do” Costa Rica. You can rent a car or rely on shuttle services. Stay in a city hotel, a remote eco-lodge, or a beachside Airbnb. It’s all possible.
Here are a few key regions to consider:
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Central Valley (San José and surroundings): Cultural sites, museums, and access to volcanoes and cloud forests.
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Pacific Coast (including Quepos and Manuel Antonio): National parks, beaches, and adventure tourism.
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Caribbean Coast (like Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero): Afro-Caribbean culture, nesting turtles, and rich biodiversity.
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Northern Plains (Arenal and La Fortuna): Hot springs, waterfalls, and volcanoes.
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Southern Zone (Osa Peninsula and Corcovado): Pristine rainforest, rare species, and incredible biodiversity.
VisitCostaRica.com is the official tourism website and a helpful starting point for researching regions, accommodations, and activities.
For us, this trip was a chance to reconnect, not just with each other, but with the natural world. Costa Rica has a way of doing that. When you’re surrounded by howler monkeys at dawn, or listening to rain fall onto leaves the size of couch cushions, or catching a glimpse of a toucan in flight, you remember what it feels like to be part of something ancient and alive.
And in a world where conservation so often feels like a losing battle, Costa Rica shows what can be achieved when a nation decides to prioritize nature, not just in words, but through action.
Feature Destination
Feature Destination: The Most Awe-Inspiring National Parks in Latin America
Feature Destination
Feature Destination – Journeys With Purpose: Restoring Island-Ocean Ecosystems in Palau
Visiting Palau has been one of the most remarkable and affirming experiences of my life. Spending hours in the ocean observing turtles, sharks, rays and a host of other marine species, including cuttlefish changing colour and form to their immediate environment, has proven to be one of the greatest joys and wonders in the world.
I grew up watching and entranced by the TV series ‘The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau’. Such was the impression Cousteau’s series made on me, as a very young child my first pet was called ‘Calypso’, after his fabled research vessel. My experiences in Palau brought back these vivid memories directly. With a particular snorkelling experience on this journey, a fellow traveller commented that this must be “the day you fell in love with sharks” – and it truly was.

Throughout the course of the last 12+ months, Journeys With Purpose has worked alongside the world-class organisations of Island Conservation and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in association with Re:wild, on a ‘Restoring Island-Ocean Ecosystems’ journey to champion and support the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC).
The IOCC aims to restore at least 40 globally significant island-ocean ecosystems from ridge to reef by 2030 to benefit people, wildlife and our planet. This goal is delivering tangible action and successes, and signifying more widely the essential connection between island health and ocean health. Holistically restoring islands delivers outsized benefits for wildlife, oceans, people and climate impacts.
Key IOCC messages:
- Healthy oceans need healthy islands
- island and marine ecosystem elements cycle into one another, sharing nutrients vital to the plants and animals within them. Invasive species damage these fragile ecosystems and work to remove these in order to restore balance and endemic species such as the Megapode bird is vital.
- Everything is connected – Indigenous Peoples and local communities know this
- Indigenous Peoples and local communities have long understood and managed their natural resources in the context of island-to-sea connections. As Wayne Andrew, Micronesia Director of OneReef says “Community is not people alone. Community is a place, the reef. The respect of all that is so important”. This is rooted in their traditional knowledge and wisdom, including ancient oral stories such as the “Megapode Bird and Hawksbill Turtle”. It is essential to support local leadership and communities in the decisions they wish to make to protect these vital ecosystems.
- Collaboration is essential
- taking a collective approach to sustainable science and the importance of collaboration with local communities to achieve more holistic results.
- Emerging Science and Impact Monitoring
- global scalability of work informed by science. Emerging research shows people, wildlife and marine environments benefit when island-ocean connections are restored.
- Islands are on the frontline of environmental crises
- a staggering 41% of critically threatened species are found on islands
- 27% of all languages come from island communities
- surrounding coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine life

We travelled with leadership from Palau’s local communities, Island Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography and supporters of these organisations. The collective experience of our time with these communities, and snorkelling and diving, was quite remarkable – a true spirit of togetherness and bonding developed that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. And importantly to take forward into action.
My key takeaways are thus:
- People make Places
- this is never more true than in Palau. There are approximately 20,000 local inhabitants on Palau’s islands, and they demonstrate an incredible bond, cohesiveness and strength together. This is brilliantly encapsulated by the local Hatohobei community, who rejected sizeable bribes to thwart a significant illegal fishing operation – “… we’re doing it for our people, for the future generations.”
- Impact at Scale
- the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS), effective 1 January 2020 with support from the Palauan government and several NGOs, is one of the largest marine protected areas (MPA) in the world. It was the first MPA of its kind, protecting 80% of a country’s national waters in a fully protected no-take zone.
- the PNMS protects a vast array of marine life and unique geological features within its over 475,000 km2, an area larger than Germany, Japan, Iraq, Sweden, etc. Eight hundred marine vertebrate species call the PNMS home, including nearly 30 different marine mammals and 60 shark and ray species, though these numbers are likely underestimated, as the biodiversity of the PNMS remains understudied.
- all achieved with the spirit of just 20,000 Palauans.
- Be Brave
- as above, the Palauans have been incredibly brave in their approach with their communities, natural environment and ambition. Very sadly, this is not the norm around the world, but is, however, a lesson for us all – trust our hearts and do the right thing to help deliver today a viable future. We must turn the currency of hope into the currency of action.

I have observed these three takeaways in the great conservation and rewilding endeavours around the world. It can be done. I urge us all, in the strongest possible manner, to support the work of the people of Palau, Island Conservation and Scripps Institution of Oceanography – brilliant people, doing brilliant work, in brilliant places. My eternal gratitude to our partners and supporters on this journey, and in particular to the exceptional dedication, hospitality and warmth of our local Palauan partners at Island Conservation Palau, Ebiil Society, OneReef, Koror State DCLE (Department of Conservation and Law Enforcement), Ngarchelong State Rangers and many others. Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island nation in the Micronesia region of Oceania in the western Pacific, comprising an archipelago of over 350 islands. Little known to many of us, it is one of the most remarkable ecosystems and communities on Earth. Please connect here – connect@journeyswithpurpose.org – to understand how you can contribute, and visit Palau.
GET IN TOUCH TO START YOUR JOURNEY
A tribute to the people of Palau:- in memoriam to Prince LeeBoo of Palau, 1763 to 1784.
With the consent of his father King Ibedul of Koror, Prince LeeBoo departed Palau with Captain Henry Wilson and the crew of the Antelope to London, England on 12 November 1783. Whilst in London, Prince LeeBoo became Palau’s de facto ambassador of goodwill to England, and a scholar. However, LeeBoo’s plan of returning to Palau to spread knowledge and scientific discoveries to his people ended abruptly when the young prince succumbed to smallpox in the winter of 1784. The remains of Prince LeeBoo and his plans lay buried today in the courtyard of St. Mary’s church in Rotherhithe, London, England.
Despite the dilapidation of time, the spirit of Prince LeeBoo continues to live in the hearts of the people of Palau – their immense strength of community, positive impact and fortitude. His story, and purpose in life, remains widely told amongst the people of Palau today.
This article was retrived from Duncan’s Field Notes.
Journeys With Purpose offers immersive conservation and ethical travel experiences. Through private and hosted trips with pioneering conservationists, guests experience rewilding and restoring biodiversity in the wildest corners of the world. Our “Seven Worlds, One Planet” approach is a global curriculum focused on recovering and conserving vibrant landscapes, biodiversity, wildlife and livelihoods across all seven continents.
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