https://worldoceanday.org/ Archives - Jim Murty’s TravelTravelTravel

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, which is why I want to save our seas (and travel) on World Oceans Day.

Living on these northern European islands, Britain and Ireland, all my life global warming always seemed to be happening somewhere else.

Until that somewhere else became somewhere I came up close and personal to, when I made travel my life’s mission.

Barbados beaches

My old uni pal, party animal, conversationist and conservationist, Jevan first flagged up to me its threat to the Caribbean.

With ocean warming a real and present threat to the sea-life and island life.

Of course, at the height of the Barbados Crop Over carnival, the message perhaps didn’t land as it should have.

But it did eight years later, on my return to Bim, when I looked out of the plane and witnessed the seaweed on the coast.

An eye-opener, of course, but worse still when denied the chance to swim on some stretches.

Unless you want to try to wade through the reeds, as I did, and ended up with it in my mouth.

Now the larger hotel chains have the wherewithal to clear the coastlines in a way smaller businesses have not.

Of course, any cleaning and clearing up exercise feels very much after the seahorse has bolted.

Because these smaller islands, atolls and countries around the world are being hung out to dry by the richer stronger states.

Who give lip service and pledges at COP summits before rowing back on them.

For every Barbados though there are those for whom the clock is ticking even louder.

The Maldives are a dream destination for couples and globetrotters.

But as the flattest country in the world at just 3ft elevation they are more susceptible than anywhere to rising sea levels.

The Union of Concerned Scientists report that the teardrop isles, made up of 1,200 atolls and home to around 540,000 people will dwindle if we don’t act now.

Because a rise of just 1.5 feet will see them lose around 77% of their land area by 2100.

All worth reflecting on as we buggy, around the Maldives and swim, snorkel and scuba dive in the Indian Ocean.

That we might not be affording that luxury to our great-grandchildren.

Now we may feel powerless to effect our favourite coastal destinations’ future.

And these countries do rely on our visits to sustain their economies and their future.

We trust then in our cruise companies and airlines to prioritise sustainability and cleaner fuel.

What we can do though in this biggest election year in history.

With four billion people, half the population of the planet, going to the polls… is VOTE.

Because if we don’t exercise our democratic rights in this cycle we only have ourselves to blame.