100 days to go…

Honaunau Bay, BIG ISLAND, HAWAII

Where Malama Aina in action reignited my marine biology dream.

This 100-day project just started with the idea of what we can achieve if we are consistent above all else and aligned with something that makes a difference for the better. My goal is to get to focusing on marine biology, specifically science communication and making a positive impact for our oceans. Why?

Here’s a little backstory, side quest and detour to how I got here… starting with Honaunau Bay in Hawaii.

To celebrate reaching a milestone birthday, last year I took my two kids and we set off to Hawaii. My main reason for going was to do a night snorkel with Manta Rays. To do this, you need to go to the Big Island, or the Island of Hawaii. But the Manta Rays are for another story. So back to the Big Island.

The Big Island is beautiful. Peaceful. Not really touristy. It has 8 of the world’s 13 climate zones on one Island (including it can get snow!). Aside from its beauty, and pristine environment, It felt like I had come home, or gone home. Spiritual in experience, maybe,. Anyway, if you ever have the opportunity, to visit I 10/10 recommend. If only to help you see the world with a little more clarity, and maybe just find your inner hippie scientist spiritual gangster who would really take care of the Earth. Like we should.

Anyway, Honaunau Bay , also known as Two-Step

It’s called Two-Step, because there are literally two natural steps in the lava rock where you are allowed to enter and exit the reef.

Most days, I would drive the kids and I there, and we would sit on the lava rocks, watch spinner dolphins jump and spin out the water, and snorkel in the clearest waters I have seen. I’d test out my untrained free diving to see how far down I could go to the concrete blocks used by real free divers on the bottom of the ocean floor. I’m just a hack, to be fair.

We would also watch the tourists, and the locals.

If I ever get back there, I would love to take a photo of the man I was fortunate enough to witness protecting Hawaii, educate some locals.

Very much Malama Aina in action.

(Malama Aina meaning to be a steward or custodian and care for the land).

His hair was salt and peppered, kinda surf shag long. His profile strong. Like the elements that had carved the lava rocks had also taken part in carving him to be strong and one with the elements.

A barrel chest.

Upright posutre like I imagine a warrior.

Lines of wisdom on his tanned face.

And a spirit of calm. Embodied leadership for the land.

Not a ranger, not paid to patrol. Just present in his home, watching over the lands, the sea, and all that called it home.

There were some mainland Americans, judging by their accent from somewhere in the midwest. Tan free, and about to just enter the bay wherever they felt.

He walked over, and said ever so calmly “Excuse me - you can’t go in there. That is where the algae is growing on the coral and rocks, and that is the food for the turtles. If you go in there, you will destroy the food for the turtles, and then they will have nothing to eat and they will not come, and this place will not be special. You must go in over there (he points to the two steps).

I had never in my life seen stewardship for the environment active like this before.

Ever.

I was mesmerised.

It completely reminded me that once, I had this dream of studying marine biology to protect the world. Before my own teenage world was turned upside down. I had wanted to do something really good. Life sometimes just twists and turns and you learn different lessons and skills on different paths. I had even been accepted into James Cook University in Queensland (way back when that was the only place you could study Marine Biology in Australia), but got talked out of it. What if I revisited this dream?

So here I was. Sitting on lava rocks. Watching this beautiful moment of a human caring for the world, thinking how do we get this happening at home? Anyone who moved to Hawaii took on and respected the Hawaiian culture. Surely we could be better at respecting and embracing what first nations culture can teach us about connecting and respecting our own country and coasts?

Once I came home, I started exploring what or how this dream might look .

And I really started tuning in to my intuition/ discernment. Listening for that full body yes. The peace that feels energy, rich in joy and purpose.

Environmental Psychology? Yes, but I am wise enough to realise I can’t save the entire ocean myself. I need other people (scientists/marine biologists/first nations wisdom holders) to start speaking to make this happen. I have skills, like stakeholder profiling skills that scientists could use. But I need to be able to “speak” science I feel is of value to the scientists and people doing all the good work

So I did a thing after much thinking and exploring and brainstorming about what my future or my remaining lets’s say 25 laps around the sun might look like. I have program ideas, and business names and policies I’d love to see, yet that desire and drive for being able to pull off a late-in-life career change needed some scaffolding in the form of education.

Which leaves me eventually enrolled at uni to major in Marine Biology with a side of Environmental Psychology.

And I gotta tell you - learning to speak science after speaking business for a long time…. is hard.

Chasing this dream, I’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to fight for.

Belle

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PS my goal with my 100 day thing is to not be perfect, but to be progressive. I know formatting needs fixing, but I’ll figure that out as I go.

Two Step - Honaunau Bay

The spot to enter the reef respectfully.

Mahalo for teaching me ✌️