Tag Archives: ocean

Beach Baby

Living near the beach, my son has been a beach baby since he could sit up. He was crawling in the sand long before he could walk. He’s the second generation beach baby as I have plenty of photos of myself on the beach by the age of two. The beach holds a lot of fun for a toddler. The sand is fun to play in. It doesn’t seem to matter if they are playing with the sand with their hands or building a sand castle with shovels, sand is just simply fun. We’ve taken my son’s beach toys out … Continue reading →

Top 10 Must Visit Green Web Sites

Want to learn more about being green, whether it is at home steps you can take to make the world a better place, organizations that are monitoring the world’s practices, or preventing animal extinction? It is easy as a touch of the fingertips with these incredible websites: 10. Greenpeace Even people who don’t know much about going green have probably heard of Greenpeace. They have been trying to protect and conserve the environment for almost 40 years. 9. Going Green (TIME) TIME has devoted a section of its main web page to green issues. Weekly articles are posted on such … Continue reading →

Is Your Dog a Beach Bum?

My dogs Moose and Lally have never been to the beach. I don’t trust Moose to romp off-leash in an unfenced area; Lally is not a fan of water as it is. My old dog Miko was another story. He loved the beach, and would chase waves as they ebbed and flowed — as long as he didn’t get his feet wet. It was adorable! If your dog loves the beach — and especially the water — you may have some extra grooming on your hands. If your pup stays dry, sand can more or less be brushed off the … Continue reading →

Discovery Channel’s Shark Week: I Stand Corrected

Earlier this week I wondered if the Discovery Channel was sending mixed messages with its Shark Week programming. On the one hand they had sponsors like the Ocean Conservancy advocating shark awareness and conservation, but on the other they were running programs like Ocean of Fear, which, well, inspires fear of sharks. I’ve been following some of the other shows they’ve aired this week. They’re not just running sensational shark attack stories. (Although they are running a fair amount of those as well.) They’re also running ones that feature people trying to better understand and save sharks. The Myth of … Continue reading →

How To Treat A Jellyfish Sting

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We’re getting close to the start of the summer… and that means beach time! If you’ll be spending time at the ocean with your family, you may need to know how to treat a jellyfish sting. There isn’t usually much warning before a jellyfish sting. You may not even know a jellyfish is near until you’ve been stung. The sting comes from the jellyfish’s long tentacles that trail behind the bell-shaped body. The venom in the tentacles is alkali-based, and has a chance of causing a severe allergic reaction. If you or someone you’re with gets stung, here’s what you … Continue reading →

Mother Ocean Day 2007: Respecting Her Creatures

Today is Mother Ocean Day. Especially appropriate this year with Mother’s Day tomorrow. We’ve kind of got a theme going on this weekend! What Mother Ocean Day Is All About I don’t really know. I couldn’t find any information about why May 12th is designated as this day or who started it. I thought maybe the Surfrider Foundation had, but I found only limited references to it on their site. What I Think Mother Ocean Day Is All About I think “Mother Ocean” is like “Mother Earth.” She’s a world unto herself and provides a home for life of all … Continue reading →

Ocean Kayaking

In previous blogs I’ve written about destinations located throughout the world that have been listed as ideal spots to kayak (most of them lakes and rivers). However, I have only briefly touched on the subject of ocean kayaking. Growing up in Hawaii I’ve had the good fortune to experience some of the best ocean kayaking on the planet. My favorite spot to paddle in Hawaii is in the waters off the Big Island. If you a planning a trip to Hawaii I would suggest hooking up with one of the many experienced kayak operator located on the island. The operators … Continue reading →

Exploring A Coral Reef Without Getting Wet

Last month first lady Laura Bush traveled to the 50th state to unveil the new Hawaiian name for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. Mrs. Bush announced the new name would be Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, which symbolizes the genealogy of the Hawaiian Islands. Unfortunately, she didn’t stick around long enough to see the marine life that calls the waters off the uninhabited chain of small islands home. The atolls, reefs and submerged banks around the islands are populated with more coral reefs than anywhere else in the nation. However, because of its isolated location there are few people … Continue reading →

The Mighty Ocean

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One of the most spectacular sceneries I’ve viewed is the Pacific Ocean. The mountains are beautiful as is the Grand Canyon and Yellow Stone National Park, but it’s the ocean that has fascinated me the most. From a distance one can see the pounding of the waves but when walking along the shore, it’s easy to forget that body of water is powerful and ought to be feared in a sense of respect. One summer while on our family vacation, my friend and I decided to go out playing in the ocean. Thought we felt the strength of the current … Continue reading →

Finding Nemo: A Pixar Classic

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When Finding Nemo was out in theaters I went to see it literally ten times. It was just one of those movies that I thought was so fantastic I wanted to share it with everyone I knew. I think I did manage to share it with everyone I knew at the time, individually. Those few friends who missed the opportunity to see the movie in the theater with me were then invited/forced to come over to my apartment and watch it then. This is a fantastic movie, and most definitely one of my favorites. In the movie a fish Nemo … Continue reading →