Terror of the Deep

One of my favorite, though recently acquired, as I have only had it for about ten short months, certifications is that which I have obtained through an international SCUBA diver certification company--PADI. I have always loved to swim and be around the water, though, especially after having seen the ridiculously terrifying, at least from my perspective, JAWS movies around the time I was in the fourth grade, I was truly fearful of any water that was not located in a crystal clear and shark/alligator free swimming pool.

Through my diving experiences, I have been given the opportunity to truly appreciate all of the things I have read about since I managed to dig into chapter books when I was very young--marine life, the ocean, etc. It was truly an incredible experience to see so many specimens of the different types of wildlife up close and personal, in their own habitat. Not to mention, these particular species appeared to be so much larger and healthier looking than their cousins that are located in various aquariums across the globe. Even their behavior, though admittedly modified after having thousands upon thousands of SCUBA divers swim with them, was different.

When I went to Paris, France, I was excited to see that they had an aquarium. Though I do not agree with all of the practices surrounding the development and operation of aquariums, I do have a deep appreciation for their attempts at informing the public about the importance and difficulty of preserving the beautiful and strange wildlife we are extremely gifted to have on our planet.

Sharks have always been a favorite animal of mine to study, so, when I got to see a few of these graceful and powerful fish up close, though behind a glass wall, I was ecstatic. Sadly, sharks of all kinds are persecuted relentlessly all over the world--either for their fins and meat, or because they have inappropriately been labeled as mindless man-killers.

I simply wanted to say that I appreciate Paris' effort to support the spread of information about the conservation of our resources--and not just the ones that provide fuel to our cars or electricity to our houses.