Captain's Chronicles October 2023

Endangered Species / Ethical Ignorance / Chins Up

I heard a short blurb on the radio last week about manatees being added to the endangered species list. I thought to myself, they got that one wrong because they’re already on the list. I realized I was wrong (yes, that happened) this morning while reading an article about a study that is making environmentalists happy because the research is likely to land the sea cows back on the list. I was in disbelief, how and when did they become threatened not endangered? I was not surprised to find out that it was Ryan Zinke, a scandal-ridden interior secretary appointee of Trump that down-listed the big marine mammal back in 2017. Probably the last part of 2017 as half of Florida was busy cleaning up after hurricane Irma and getting our lives back on track. Zinke celebrated that ruling claiming that manatees were well on their path to recovery.  That’s laughable! Actually, it’s cry-able. It never stops. Yet I just can’t wrap my head around how so many people act on their greed for money and power over the betterment of the people living on planet earth and the earth itself! This just in… Our host is really pissed off! We should all be on the endangered species list! Go manatees! I’m sorry you even have the word man in your name!

I guess I’m old-school. My parents were older when they had me. Right is right and wrong is wrong. They grew up in a time when people actually respected and helped out one another. I heard all the clichés many times: if you borrow something, return it in as good or better condition promptly when finished. Waste not want not. Any job worth doing is worth doing right! Remember those? Evidently we either have a hard time nowadays of distinguishing right from wrong or we just choose to do what’s wrong far too often. Some people are ignorant, but I believe there’s more people just hiding behind a veil of ignorance.  This leads me to a second email that you may have recently received from… So sorry the remainder of this paragraph has been pre-empted due to objectionable content. At least Jessi thought so. She’s probably right though, however, it was really fun and therapeutic to write. It had to do with ignorance and ethics and dolls and West African religion. Come to our gathering this Friday to hear the unedited version! In summary, the world sure would be a different place if everybody just did the right thing! The odds on that happening are nil. At least for this go round. I believe in heaven but have no hope of seeing heaven on earth. My hope is that on the next try our ‘earth’ has 3 to 5 moons and at least 3 times the amount of visible colors. Oh, and there is no such thing as wrong, only right and we all live in peace and harmony with each other and nature!

The Miami dolphins say fins up and they’ve had a good year… Until last weekend. Divers say, chins up. Not just divers, but anyone with a positive mental focus and appreciation for all things good. Chins up, we need to stay positive! The alternative is to be swallowed by a mountain of negativity. Many of you are probably thinking to yourselves, wait… He’s in a good head space after reading my first two paragraphs. Head space promotes good heads pace! I could be negative because the water temperature is dropping to that 80° threshold were the locals go into aquatic hibernation. But, no! Getting into wetsuits isn’t fun for most of us, but suck it up buttercup pry yourself into that neoprene and get yourself underwater (I’m mostly talking to myself here). Plus the Gulf will be back above 80° before you know it. Local trips (for both Scuba Marco and locals running their own boats out to dive and fish have dropped off dramatically this year. Part of it is weather and below average visibility.  I believe a lot of it is revenge travel with people going other places than South Florida this year. Regardless, there has been less pressure on the fish out there this year. Couple that with the FWC making it harder and harder to put legal fish in the cooler, the outlook for fish stock populations increasing is a little brighter. Positive focus people! Marco Islanders are vehemently fighting over short term house rentals. Step back and consider if your house was in the West Bank or the Ukraine, or any place savaged by war, natural or man-made disasters. Heartfelt thoughts and prayers for peace for all in harms way. Stop to smell the flowers often and continually be thankful! I’m looking forward to sharing some positive, good vibes with you all this Friday!!