Childhood dreams flowering into reality,
...in all honesty, I have no idea how to describe my experiences at my very first Beneath the Sea Show.
The Beneath the Sea conference is a weekend where people who live and breath all things salt water can get together annually and share life passions about marine science. It is a place where SCUBA divers and explorers can get together and geek out about their favorite past time: being in, under, on, or near the ocean.
This post is a bit overdue, but I wanted to wait until some of the pictures from this year were uploaded to the show's website.
I first heard about the Beneath the Sea show through my dive safety officer at UCONN. A diving conference..."yea okay, sounds pretty cool, but not sure it's going to be worth the expenses. I've been to fisheries and wetlands conferences before, this show will probably be pretty similar, right?"
Wrong.
It wasn't until I explored the webpage that I realized just how amazing this conference was going to be!
Key speakers - Stan Waterman, Valerie Taylor, Jean-Micheal Cousteau?! Howard and Michelle Hall, Jon Bird? The list for 2013 speakers was enormous and nearly every one of my childhood heroes was scheduled to attend! The explorers and scientists that I have been reading about all my life, the pioneers of shark diving, the worlds best cave divers, technical diving geniuses, film-makers featured on NatGeo and Discovery Channel?!
I didn't know how, but I was going to this conference.
A few weeks later, I had contacted the representatives and coordinators of the Marine Careers section of the show. Marine Careers is an extra day added to the show that is focused on guiding high school and college students to follow their dreams of becoming involved in marine science, underwater photography, conservation, and diving. The best part? College students who participate in this day of activities can attend the rest of the conference for free! Yes! The game plan was set and we were off to Secaucus, NJ for a spectacular adventure!
After a weekend of nerdy diving conversations with new friends and colleagues, I can honestly say that Beneath the Sea exceeded all of my expectations. Every presentation and seminar I had the opportunity to attend was absolutely incredible. Successfully, tingling my shipwreck and technical diving senses, I left the show with a new perspective on SCUBA diving as a whole. Sure it's a recreational thing for the majority of divers, but listening to the tales of serious explorers and instructors has solidified my goals of becoming a dive "professional." (One day...)
Even the marine conservation discussions were spectacular. Little do the Our World Underwater Scholarship Committee and Shark Angels crew know, but I literally experienced heart palpitations when introducing myself. Those who have dedicated their lives to saving the oceans are held as true heroes in my eyes. When I was little, I used to sit and read my "Jacques Cousteau's Underwater World" encyclopedia set and dream of making a difference in the world. And here, at Beneath the Sea, I was surrounded by people that have and continue to do so every day. An eclectic group of scientists, activists, and passionate sea lovers alike, I felt like I belonged. I was finally breaking through the surface tension and had begun my decent into the wonderful waves of being a leader in environmental protection. Though still unsure as to which exact course I will take along my underwater conservation journey, I feel confident to say that I've begun with the beautiful ocean horizon in sight (one that I'd like to keep free of waste and full of the sea creatures that call it home)!
Ta ta for now folks!
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