Originally posted on beesnotepad.blogger.com page.

Clipperton!!

A dream, an awakening, and one of the best experiences of a lifetime. Thank you, N2Pix and The Explorer’s Club, for organizing this rare and humbling expedition and giving me a spot!

So honored to have been part of what I will always remember as the best trip and team ever formed! The team was made up of the best international group of marine biologists, filmmakers, photographers, writers, journalists, shark experts, marine debris experts, and land scientists.

At this point, I’m still living through each dive and each walk on the island, savoring, reflecting, and noting the experiences. The beauty of our planet, the mysteries of the underwater and the wildlife we rarely get to see are beyond the limits of language. The clear signs of our impact as humans, in the middle of nowhere, 900 miles from the nearest soul, is indisputably heart-wrenching.

The dire conditions and the urgency for action are as clear as the turquoise waters of the ocean.

Every single experience and mission we had was unforgettable: I got to measure, touch (and even whisper to) sharks with the best shark expert on earth, raising my appreciation even more towards these very misunderstood, abused, over-hunted and vulnerable beings. We removed nets and lines from the reef, collected marine debris, changed shark tag receptors, etc.

My once-fear of sharks led me here, and I'm glad that it did! Not only do I not fear them, and I saw the role of curiosity and the actual power of knowledge and experience first hand. Our marine biologists and shark experts were down with tiger sharks, face-to-face, no cage, no fear, no doubt. Not even a second did any of us feel threatened from them. We felt potential danger from commercial fishing boats lurking in the distance at times, but not the sharks.

Below I’m sharing some photos that do not do justice to the story of Clipperton. The blue-footed, brown, and masked boobies were the highlights of life outside the water. The unusual coral formations, baby Silvertips , Galapagos sharks, eels, and the leather bass the highlights of underwater. Not to mention the great currents and surges, but no real photos of that.

The dark side of the island is a contrasting human-created reality. It is overwhelming, our connection and responsibility to life 900 miles away from the nearest human - no words sound adequate at the moment. The images etched into my mind are sure to be with me forever, with every decision I make, fueling my passion for being humane and change.

All I can say is I am more determined than ever before on this path.

Forever grateful. Forever scarred. Forever changed.