“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
~Mahatmas Gandhi~
As a ocean diver, I travel to two amazing worlds. Underwater I encounter forms of marine life and a color spectrum I never knew existed. It’s a fantasia so brilliant and stunning that you feel like a blind person who can suddenly see in Technicolor. One of my first dives in Indonesia was 55 minutes. It felt like five. When I came up, I almost couldn’t speak.
My shoreline experiences have also opened my eyes. My travels to the Galapagos Islands, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands and Baja Mexico have been transformative because I began to understand the needs of each community. Initially, I visited to enjoy the activities and sites. Now as president of Reef Check I have joined the mission to preserve these rare environments because our survival literally depends on it.
A visit to Indonesia showed me how a micro-economy could develop into a robust enterprise when locals and business people joined forces. A resort leases the coral reef from the community so that visitors like me can tour the underwater world. That’s a good revenue stream for the people who rely on the reef for their livelihood. But the growth doesn’t stop there, and it’s not only about money.
The resort also created 300 jobs. And a landing strip that allows travelers to reach this remote area created more employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. For example, as the wave of tourists grew more food and other necessities were needed. Vendors and shops began to spring up to supply all kinds of things.
Here’s the real beauty of this cooperation and foresight: the ancient coral reef is preserved because everyone depends on it, respects it and glories in its boundless beauty.
Needless to say, the local people take their enterprise very seriously. After dinner on one of my early diving trips I saw boats leave shore, and the men were armed with guns. I asked why and was told they were going out to protect their reefs from poachers.
Yes, every community needs money to keep them afloat. But these people were also motivated by pride in their heritage — a heritage that happens to include some of the world’s most dazzling natural wonders.
By traveling to explore the glory of underwater life, I began to look deeper within myself. The experiences have become part of my life mission. Part of my DNA. The shift in consciousness that I witnessed and took part in has profoundly shaped me.
And it all began because I traveled to a distant place for fun. Change your outlook, and then help 2,000 other people change theirs. That’s a revolution.
Sue Chen
NOVA Founder and CEO
Reef Check, board chair
