The image I selected was a diver photographing enormous manta rays which seem to be swarming to get a closer look at her. These graceful giants are hunted for the gills. These gentle giants are now on the watch list. The diver in the photograph, Dr. Andrea Marshall, has dedicated her life to their study and conservation.
I chose this image because of my own recent experiences diving and observing my favorite sea creatures - sea turtles, up close and personal in their habitat, the coral reef. I am a newly certified diver and the experience diving underwater is breath-taking literally and figuratively. While diving I thought if more people had this experience they would develop a greater appreciation for the vast ocean life that exists below.
My remixed picture shows a group of young people smiling below the mantas. If I could have further remixed the photo I would have added wetsuits and dive gear to each child in the picture.
My message is simple, if you see them up close you may just fall in love.
In the words of a wise Senegalese Conservationist,
"In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will only understand what we are taught" (Baba Dioum).
Remixed by Jocelyn
Original Image Citation: The Oprah Magazine, March, 2013.
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