World Oceans Day 2021: Why It Should Matter To All Of Us.

And a personal perspective as well…

Today is World Oceans Day! The theme of this year's World Oceans Day is 'The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods'. It is especially relevant in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021 to 2030. The decade is aimed at strengthening international cooperation to develop scientific research and innovative technologies that are capable of connecting ocean science with the needs of modern society. And that’s an awesome goal… preserving our Oceans for the future, but maintaining all they can provide.

With plastic waste becoming rampant in our oceans, reducing or eliminating the plastic waste we all produce is vital. That’s why at Imbue, we use glass containers wherever possible and recyclable card stock and cardboard outer packaging. And we don’t use pesticides on our crops that might further pollute the waterways and oceans. Granted, it’s not huge, but our belief is that every little thing in this fight matters, so we do what we can.

But the fight to help our oceans took on a personal perspective last fall when Paul and I traveled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We stayed at the Marriott at the Marina during our stay and by some amazing luck, were assigned a room right next to where Marriott maintains a Sea Turtle Hatchery! We learned that Marriott employs a team of wildlife experts to oversee and maintain the hatchery as a way of supporting these important conservation efforts. Several times every day, we would stand at the fence to observe the 200 or so transplanted nests filled with turtle eggs. When we were able to witness firsthand, the turtles hatching and digging themselves out of the sand, it was just breathtaking, One particular morning, I woke early and went out to visit the hatchery. To my dismay, there was a hole in the fencing and several of the newly hatched turtles had escaped and were trying to make a dash for the ocean. That would have been ok had it not been for the seabirds looking for breakfast! I managed to flag down a hotel maintenance worker who notified the hatchery staff, and together we were able to scoop up the escaped turtles and place them safely back into the hatchery until they could be properly released. The staff thanked me for my efforts and immediately repaired the fencing.

Later that evening, Paul and I got to participate in helping release the new hatchlings. It’s just an amazing experience to cradle one of these tiny little creatures in your hand (covered in a layer of sand for protection of the turtle). And then, carefully walk the newborn down to the water’s edge and release it. Watching it just swim away with no help from a parent turtle and nothing to guide it but raw instinct. It’s beyond awe inspiring.

The whole turtle hatching experience made protecting our oceans more personal for me and Paul. And I’m hoping in small way, my recounting the story makes it a bit more important for all of you as well.

Happy World Oceans Day, Everyone!

With all our best,

Tom