National Geographic Young Explorer, conservationist and award-winning photojournalist Shannon Switzer tells travel 3Sixtyº why she is besotted with the deep blue and what we can do to protect our planet’s blue heart.
Compiled by: Chitra Santhinathan
Photo from Limelife Photography
WHY DOES THE OCEAN FASCINATE YOU?
The ocean is like another planet. Exploring it is like visiting a place as foreign as Jupiter without actually having to leave Earth, complete with alien life forms. I don’t even have to go beneath the surface of the water to be enthralled with this watery planet. The ocean captivates at every level: the colours, the movement, the feeling of being surrounded by water, skimming along its surface or being partially above it and below it simultaneously – it’s simply magical. Add to that all the practical, life-sustaining services it provides us, from oxygen to protein, the ocean is just mind boggling.
Shannon Switzer at Grandview Beach in Encinitas, California. Photo from Evolve, IMG
WERE YOU A WATER BABY AS A CHILD?
I couldn’t get enough water time. It didn’t matter if I was splashing around in a pool, lake or bathtub; as long as it had water, I wanted to be in it! I was lucky to grow up in San Diego, California with a dad who loved to sail, body surf and free dive. My passion for the ocean was instilled even before I could walk.
WHAT GETS YOU OUT OF BED?
I often have a hard time falling asleep at night because my mind is racing with projects and tasks for the next day that I want to get started on. I just think that God created this incredibly complex, stunning, fascinating world and the better we understand how it takes care of us and we can take care of it, the better off humanity will be. We will get closer to a world in which every life matters and is respected, human and non-human alike. And besides, this journey towards understanding is so fun and full of surprises and challenges, how could I not want to keep tackling it each day?
While furthering conservation causes around the world, Switzer works closely with local communities. Here, she gets to know local children on a research trip to Uganda’s Budongo Forest. Photo from Katie Hall
WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD ON THE JOB SO FAR?
I’ve had many memorable moments on the job; one of the most rewarding was during a recent research trip to the Philippines, where I visited a coastal community to evaluate a mangrove restoration project. My study involved interviewing residents and the footage I filmed was screened for the community. I was moved to see the participants working hard to restore their natural environment, the renewed pride they had for their home, and how motivated they were to address challenges broached in the film.
WHY ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT CONSERVATION?
As a human being, I’ve no choice but to be passionate about conservation. We have to take care of the earth if we hope to be sustained by it. It’s a moral obligation we all have.
WHY IS IT ESSENTIAL FOR US TO PROTECT OUR RIVERS AND SEAS?
Again, it’s something we have to do! Our rivers and seas are the planet’s lifeblood. Keeping them clean and healthy is vital for a vibrant planet. Fresh water is obvious because it keeps us alive, but oceans provide just as many if not more life-sustaining services. For example, the ocean provides between 50 and 85 per cent of our oxygen, produced by one of the world’s tiniest microorganisms –phytoplankton. How cool is that?
Bleached corals photographed up close in Denis Island, the Seychelles. The image shows the damage coral reefs can suffer as a result of heavy boat traffic. Photo from Shannon Switzer.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NEWER THREATS TO THE WORLD’S OCEANS?
Two big ones come to mind. The first is plastic pollution. Plastic that is discarded in our oceans not only kills seabirds, turtles and other creatures that mistake it for food but, breaks down into tiny micro-beads that accumulate in the tissue of fish, which ingest the particles and pass these toxins up the food chain. This phenomenon could have huge ramifications on human health. The second is ocean acidification, which causes shellfish to produce thinner shells that provides them with inadequate protection. Together with ocean warming, these are killing entire coral reef ecosystems. Overfishing and illegal and unreported fishing are other threats that, though they have been around for a long time, continue to devastate the world’s fishing stocks.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT OUR OCEANS?
Use reusable items and buy locally. They’re equally important! It’s as easy as buying a reusable stainless steel water bottle, keeping it filled, and taking it with you wherever you go. It’s as easy as buying fresh food at a farmers’ market, growing your own fruits and vegetables and eating less meat and dairy. It means lesser fossil fuels will be used to produce the food you eat, keeping CO2 out of the atmosphere and toxic chemicals and pesticides out of our watersheds. Just by doing these two things and encouraging others to do the same, you can make an enormous difference.
Young girls from the local community having a bit of fun during an educational mangrove-planting programme in Silonay, Philippines. Photo from Shannon Switzer.
HOW IMPORTANT IS AWARENESS AND EDUCATION IN CONSERVATION EFFORTS?
Raising awareness and developing great educational content around conservation is crucial. If we don’t know about the challenges facing our planet and how our habits can affect things, we are powerless to change them. If kids learn how to take care of the earth at a young age, they are inculcated early on with good habits that last a lifetime, rather than having to change their habits when they get older.
HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR HOLIDAYS?
I’m usually in the water surfing and diving, and I always like to relax on the beach and soak up a little sun after all that physical activity. There’s nothing more relaxing to me than warming my limbs in the sun while listening to waves crash on the beach. My most satisfying naps are the naps I take on the beach.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE DIVE SPOT?
That’s a tough one. Each dive spot offers something totally unique that makes it special. However, one of my favourites is the Coral Gardens near Puerto Galera, Philippines. While diving in the protected waters here, I saw the most picturesque coral reefs and abundant reef fish – it was like a bustling underwater metropolis.
A whale shark photographed during Switzer’s time in the Seychelles as a research assistant with the Marine Conservation Society of the Seychelles. Photo from Shannon Switzer.
IF YOU COULD BE A SEA CREATURE FOR A DAY, WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO BE?
This changes depending on what mood I’m in on a given day, but right now I would choose to be a blue whale. I’d have no predators, be the biggest creature on the planet and get to dive into the deepest parts of the ocean that 99 percent of the world has never seen. Plus, if I were a blue whale, I’d be able to travel the world fuelled by my own power (blue whales migrate thousands of miles every year)!
SHANNON’S TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
- An all-weather notebook for research observations and other thoughts during my travels.
- At least one long-sleeved buttoned down shirt (borrowed from my husband) for fieldwork and to shield myself from the sun and biting insects.
- My iPhone. It’s amazing how well-connected I am while travelling internationally now. As long as I have Wi-Fi, I can text and stay up-to-date on my various social media outlets. However, I try to be cautious as this instant access can be a double-edged sword that keeps me from being fully present in my travels/assignments/research. To combat this, I keep my phone turned off and only use it at specific times and for specific tasks.
- Two 21oz reusable stainless steel water bottles. Even when I travel in countries where drinking water from the tap is questionable, I bring my reusable bottles and buy the largest containers of purified water I can find once I arrive. This way I’m still reducing my plastic use if not entirely eliminating it.
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