School is Back in Session: Skype Classroom Visits

I love spending time in the classroom speaking with kids about sharks, but work over the past few months has really limited my ability to do so. My audience is slightly limited because I live on a tiny island, but Skype Classroom has really changed the way the world learns and has opened a lot more doors for me. (Classroom doors that is) I remember having guest speakers as a child growing up in Maine, but it didn’t happen very often and they were always local. I am blown away at the ability to broaden horizons and expand a child’s sense of the world, through a small window on the computer.

I have done classroom sessions before via Skype, as well as interviews for various shark projects, but last week I did my first visit organized through the Skype Classroom program. I was nervous and excited as I waited to connect with Mr. Grabowski’s 6th grade class, located in Guelph, Ontario.

I spent forty minutes speaking about sharks, shark diving and underwater video. The kids had really great questions about why sharks are important and what they can do to help. The time flew by and I closed the connection feeling a renewed sense of inspiration. The world of shark conservation is full of ups and downs and these classroom visits are the peaks that renew my resolve and challenge me to do more.

I did two more visits this week, one with second graders from Connecticut and one with an 8-year-old home school student in Michigan. I wanted to do a few to start and see how the logistics would be before I dove in completely. I think the experience is amazing and I have seven visits booked next week. It really opens the doors for students who do not have access to the ocean or maybe have never even seen the ocean. We all need the ocean and every child needs to know how important our oceans are and how important sharks are. It is also essential that every child realize he or she has a voice and that they can make a difference. Think global, but act local. We need to create the next generation of global citizens by initiating a conversation about things every person can do each day or each week to make a change.

I highly recommend this program to teachers and parents alike. You can bring the world to your classroom or to your children and make connections that cannot be found in any textbook.


MY SKYPE CLASSROOM PROFILE

World Oceans Day

In reality everyday should be world oceans day. We desperately need our oceans and they desperately need us to take care of them. Globally we are filling them with trash and pollution, killing off their inhabitants and disregarding them with reckless abandon. Ironic that this is how the human population treats its life force. Despite our best efforts to destroy her, the ocean keeps going. It is surviving when it should be thriving, but it will keep going.











I have always had a special connection to the ocean and don’t actually remember not being in complete awe of its vastness and the wonders that lie beneath the surface. I spent my childhood on the rocky coastline of Maine and had to be dragged out of the water with blue lips on every trip the beach. I spent hours hunched over tide pools discovering new critters and longing to slip into their world. I was also the kid that explained to other kids why they should not take crabs, starfish or still live sand dollars home.

I filled buckets and buckets with seashells and caused the car to smell like low tide on more than one occasion. At the age of 5 I discovered a giant clam shell in my grandparents garage. This mysterious monstrosity was an item from an estate auction they had purchased for their antique shop. I remember telling my mom that someday I was going to see a giant clam alive! I am happy to report that at the age of 25, I saw my first giant clam on the Great Barrier Reef and squealed with delight.
Whenever life has been tough or I have needed a quiet escape, the ocean has been a sanctuary. The ocean brings a sense of calm when life is insane. I can always put my toes in the water and know that everything will be all right. I cannot begin to explain what it is, but I know that it never fails.

The ocean is raw, wild, unpredictable, calm, mysterious and vast. It always reminds how small we really are in this life and how important the greater picture it. The oceans, whether you live in a landlocked area or on the coast, are vital for our survival. World Oceans Day is one single day, but in reality we need to celebrate, protect and preserve our oceans every single day. We cannot continue to treat them as an endless resource of goods or a giant trashcan.






I have turned that awe into a career that is primarily based around the ocean. I have created a life that allows me to spend most of my time on or in the water. Every person I can reach through photos, video or educational programs, is one more ocean advocate that joins the team. We are all in this together. Whatever groups you support or join, at the end of the day we are all fighting for the same goal; healthy oceans across the globe.

Go for a swim in the sea, go snorkeling, share a photo of the ocean, talk to friends or family members about what you love the ocean. Every little bit does make a difference. There is always hope even if sometimes it doesn’t seem like it is making a difference.

Bali Part 1:

I fell in love with Bali for the first time in 2008. It was not like anyplace I had ever been with the smell of flowers and incense filling the air, the gorgeous people welcoming me with open hearts and the mind blowing underwater world. Duncan and I met later the same year and I spoke about Bali so much that it became an ongoing joke about me trying to get him there. I knew he was intrigued as to why it had affected me so strongly and knew it would only be a matter of time before I dragged him there. We began traveling to more exotic locations and experiencing new adventures, although still in my heart, Bali slipped from my mind.



After the dramatic ending to our Whale Wars film shoot, we decided that a week somewhere to relax and actually process what we had been through was much needed. Amazing how you keep pushing forward and get the job done, without allowing yourself a moment to take in the emotions and the feelings of what you have experienced. We contemplated areas of Australia and realized that it would blow our budget very quickly. I love Australia, but it is very expensive to vacation there. I began to look at other options that were close by and would offer a cheap escape. Thailand, Indonesia and Fiji are all fairly close and easy to get to, but an add on the television for Bali caught my eye. The fire for Bali was reignited and I began furiously plotting and planning a trip. It worked out that 10 days in Bali, including round trip airfare and all meals, was cheaper than a week’s accommodation and meals in Australia. We were also approaching Duncan’s birthday and I wanted him to celebrate it on a beach somewhere, as last year he spent it on the boat in Antarctica.

Our first travel plan was rescheduled because we were asked to extend our shoot and take a detour to Albany, Western Australia. We wrapped our shoot and the plan was set. I hate all-inclusive packages and avoid them like the plague, but without a car and staying in a higher end, but remote (as I remembered) part of the island, we thought it might be the most cost effective option. I hesitantly pushed the “book” button and it disappeared into cyberspace. We made arrangements for our hotel shuttle and all that was left to do was pack. We left our massive cases loaded with winter weather gear and random items with our Aussie family. They had been wonderful and opened their home to us numerous times, because we keep coming back.

With a bag each, we returned the rental car to the airport and went to check in. The flight was scheduled to be 3 hours and 40 minutes, which in my world equals one trashy magazine and a nap. The guy at the exchange counter asked if we had US dollars for the visa. I had completely forgotten that they only accept US dollars for the $25 visa fee. Odd because the US dollar has tanked and they would be better off requesting a different currency. Anyway, we got the required money and made our way to the Virgin terminal. I have to say the Virgin (America, Atlantic or Australia) is the way to fly. The crew is always friendly, economy seats do not equal riding in a sardine can and there are free movies, great food and alcohol.






We arrived in darkness, which always adds an element of fear and excitement as the drive rips around corners. The arrival process in Bali is chaos, but nothing compared to the exit. (See the next bog) Indonesia offers visas on arrival for most western countries, so we were all set in that department. We paid our $25 and got inspected by customs before passing through. You hand off your standard arrival forms and then are ushered through to grab your luggage. I had not warned Duncan that there would be a sea of men waiting to wrestle bags off the belt and demand money for their safe return or to tote them to another location. As a man moved towards Duncan’s bag I found myself becoming that person in slow motion, moving towards Dunk and yelling, “doooooooonnnn’t leeeettttttttt hiiiiiimmmmm…touch the bag.” Duncan stood there, bag in hand giving me his,” Jill, what are spazzing about now,” look. I explained the situation and we gathered our bags and navigated the gauntlet out to the arrivals area. I scanned the crowd and saw the sign with Ms Morris on it and moved with authority towards our driver.

Our package at Club Bali Mirage included roundtrip airport transfers, so we jumped at the offer. We usually prefer to rent a car, but what I remembered of driving in Bali was absolutely terrifying. I say this having seen the 405 at rush hour and making regular appearances on I-95 in Miami. Duncan stared wide-eyed as we weaved in and out of traffic and zipped around corners. Our arrival was a blur and as we checked in at the open-air lobby, our fresh juice welcome cocktails were delivered. Apa Kabar was the only thing I really remembered and I did manage to wow our driver with language prowess, counting to 5 in Balinese. I asked how to say thank you and we were at least on our way. I find that knowing even a few words makes all the difference. It shows respect and an effort to really connect with the people of wherever you are traveling too. Don’t worry if you mispronounce, they will appreciate the gesture and most likely you will get a smile.




We were shown to our room, passing through the lounge area and making our way to the 3rd floor. Anxious to see our deluxe room, we fumbled with the card to open the door. Voila! Two single beds! What? 6 weeks in bunks and there was no way I was paying to sleep in a single bed. I explained to the concierge and he suggested that we move the beds together. I am not a travel diva, but I had a moment. Oh hell no, we are not paying for a room where we have to move the beds together. I marched downstairs and explained the situation. Unfortunately there were no deluxe rooms, so the slumber party idea was suggested again. Not happening. The man behind the desk twitched a bit before he offering us a Romance room. Excellent. We moved down the hall and walked in to find that “romance” means hanging a drapery around the bed from ceiling to floor. Exhausted we put our gear down with a sigh of success and exhaustion. Our new room looked like the pictures of the deluxe room that were shown on the website, so all had worked out.



Our package included 24-hour meals, so we decided to check out the menu. We washed down mie goreng and nasi goreng with bottles of Bali Hai. We were the only people in the massive main dinning area and it was all a bit surreal. Both of these dishes are pretty standard in Bali with vegetables and meat mixed with noodles
(mie) or rice (nasi), served with a friend egg on top. Without meat, they are a delicious vegetarian option. With bellies full, we slipped into vacation mode and enjoyed another beer. We managed to stay up until midnight, well I should say, I managed, as Dunk is always a night owl. We toasted Duncan’s birthday before retiring to our room.

I was a little worried that Duncan would be disappointed if Bali was not everything I had described. I had made the vacation call and wanted him to fall in love like I did. I also wanted to make sure that his birthday was a blast. We had celebrated it early before we left for Australia, expecting to be somewhere bobbing around Antarctica. The circumstances had changed, so I wanted to make sure we were somewhere warm and that he had a really nice day. I booked him a Balinese massage and planned a dinner on the beach at Jimbaran Bay. I also looked into other activities to fill our vacation. We did not want to do too much, as the point was to relax and recharge, but I wanted to make sure he really got to see the culture. With this, I set out to book a road trip, diving and a trip to Kuta.