We believe in the ethos: you protect what you love

 

The I AM WATER mission is to help people fall in love with the ocean.

 
 

Much of today's ocean degradation is fundamentally due to human disconnect. Many people feel very little, or no connection to the ocean, behaving in ways that negatively affect the well being of this precious resource.

We feel especially passionate about working with underserved / low income coastal communities where, despite living walking distance to the shoreline young people have never seen the world just beneath the waves.

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Watch as a group of Grade 7 Students experience their ocean for the first time:

 
Sometimes, the middle of the week just requires some lightheartedness - and sea otters are, well. You decide for yourself! Check the caption and hashtags below 😜 __________ @Regran_ed from @montereybayaquarium - In Otter News, negotiations over minimum shrimp sizes have reached an impawsse. #montereybayaquarium #inotternews #whatisthisashrimpforants #itneedstobeatleastthreetimesthissize - #regrann
Breathing in ... two ... three ... four ... five ... and Out ... two... three... four... πŸ’™ Coach Grant leads Spine View Grade 7s through some relaxing, breathing exercises on Day 2 of our workshop today. The breathing helps calm the kids ahead of their snorkel and grounds them into the moment. But these breathing exercises also give the kids a useful tool to take away from their workshop and use in other facets of their life πŸ’¦ __________ Photo: Shireen Sadien
Welcome to the ocean, Spine View Primary! Another round of workshops today with more of the Grade 7s from this school. Grant, Shireen, Monray, Andrea and Marlin all chat to the kids, introducing them to the life they're going to see underwater ____________ Photo: @katherinejanewallis
Just the most overwhelming cuteness to end your weekend....because, well. You can see why! πŸ˜‚πŸ’™πŸ™ ____________ @Regran_ed from @nationalparkservice - During a surface break from coral reef monitoring, marine #Biologists noticed something small when they picked up several items of floating plastic marine debris. This beautiful little #octopus was found among the debris. On their next dive, Geoscientists released the octopus safe and sound in a small protected space! πŸ™ . Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, #Hawaii . #nationalparkservice #findyourpark #marinelife #ocean #little - #regrann
Yeeeeaaaaahhh coaches! We just finished an awesome day out with this group of NSRI crewmen, lifeguards, marine biologists, surfers, divers, anthropologists... the list goes on! And we can't wait to have them joining on the rest of our workshops for this year, and meeting our existing community of coaches πŸ’™
"When some portion of the biosphere is rather unpopular with the human race - a crocodile, a dandelion, a stony valley, a snowstorm, an odd-shaped flint - there are 3 sorts of human being who are particularly likely still to see point in it and befriend it. They are poets, scientists and children. Inside each of us, I suggest, representatives of all these groups can be found" ~ Mary Midgley ____________ Photo: @katherinejanewallis
Today is the UN International Day of the Girl Child. How perfect, then, that these 3 incredible women were in the water today with the Grade 7s of Spine View Primary. Role models matter. Mentoring is important. Seeing someone who is like you, succeed, is invaluable. In a world where we want more girls to feel that they can safely pursue their dreams, meeting women with whom they can identify is key. So when women with the combination of hard-won skill, compassion and drive step into spaces of sharing, we believe their power is transformative . Busi and Andrea are water-women who excel as lifeguards and wake up at the crack of dawn to get to our workshops. Martine started her own business to fight for a conservation cause she believes in. Their work ethic, their drive, their experiences as women - their stories. They are a point of connection to the children who can see dreams, struggles, initiative, actualized . New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern recently said that it is absolutely possible to "lead with kindness". We couldn't agree more, and it's something we see time and again with all of our coaches, because this isn't a capacity limited to our gender. But in our current climate and for today, we're thankful to the women on our team who step forward every time to demonstrate that there is strength in softness, that there is quiet wisdom is making space for others, and who use their own journey to pave a way for the girl-child who will lead with kindness tomorrow ________ Photo: @katherinejanewallis
Sharing the ocean love....It's day 3 of National Marine Week here in South Africa, and cheesy as it sounds, sharing your passion really can have an impact in your sphere of influence πŸ’™ Today we ran a workshop with Spine View Primary at St James πŸ’¦ But it doesn't need to be classroom-loads of kids you're chatting to: friends, family, colleagues ... chat, share, read, listen 🌍 _________ Photo: @dionylalieu
National Marine Week Day #2, and we're reading the report released on Monday by the United Nations IPCC that gives us a 2030 target to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees C. In brief? The report is utterly terrifying. But that's why we're so passionate about advocating for healthy oceans, for all, for our shared future. Because the report emphasises this vital point: individual actions matter! Start this week. Start today. Report link in our bio and you can see summary info on @ipcc _________ Photo: @gunnar.chris The joy and abandon of the kids playing on the beach at @9milesproject in this moment captured on camera is what we want for all kids. That's a future worth taking action for.
It's National Marine Week here in South Africa! This year's theme is "Nature Knows No Waste" and the focus is on pollution, especially of the plastic kind ♻️ Keep an eye out for tips and share share share your own experiences and info! One whole week to think of all things ocean ... okay, GO!