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carries out research in these areas
and directly petitions governments
and other authorities to grant them
full protection—just as they would
a national park. “Fish
and other marine
life are wild things;
they’re wildlife like
lions and tigers and
elephants, and they
should be given the
same degree of care,”
she says.
Earle still takes
part in many Mission
Blue expeditions
herself, on top of a
gruelling schedule of
lectures that keeps
her on the road 300
days a year. “I have
two expeditions
imminent,” she says. “One is to Malpelo in Colombia. It’s
an offshore island, and it’s a Hope Spot. It has some degree
of protection because of the work of [marine biologist
and founder of the Malpelo Foundation] Sandra Bessudo,
but we need to put the spotlight on it and gather more
information and document what’s there. It’s particularly
notable for populations of open-ocean creatures: sharks,
dolphins, whales and turtles. And the other expedition is to
the Galapagos in the fall.”
This is expensive work, and Mission Blue relies on the
support of individuals and companies. One of its biggest
backers is Rolex, which has supported Earle’s work for
decades. Earlier this year, the watchmaker helped fund
a multi-city tour of China during which Earle delivered
lectures to hundreds and presided over the openings of
Elysium Epic exhibitions, which featured photographs
taken on research expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctica and
the Coral Triangle in the Pacifi c Ocean. “These exhibitions
are so important because not everyone can go, so those of
us who have the privilege also have the responsibility to
share the view,” says Earle. “I really try to get people to
explore the ocean any way they can—look at the fi lms, read
the books, become knowledgeable. But, in the end, there’s
nothing more meaningful than going yourself.”
Earle doesn’t just want people to swim in the ocean,
or to snorkel or even scuba dive. She wants to take them
to the depths. “We’re working on aligning a partnership
with Deep Hope submersibles that will give us access to
Hope Spots around the world. These would be 1,000-metre
systems,” she says. “A thousand metres is not far on land.
You can hop 1,000 metres; you can walk 1,000 metres
backwards. But going down, it’s amazing when you think
how few people have been only 1,000 metres down. A
picture is worth 1,000 words, but an experience is worth at
least 10,000 images—you’re there.”
First up in these subs would be marine biologists, who
could study the ecosystems at Hope Spots, but after that
Earle hopes to take down world leaders, artists, writers and
more—people who have the power to spread the message
about ocean conservation. And that’s just the start. “My
ultimate goal is to develop systems that can go to full ocean
depth—11,000 metres, the depth Rolex helped [explorer
and Titanic fi lmmaker] James Cameron reach,” says Earle.
“My heart is in the deep.”“Fish and other
marine life are
wild things; they’re
wildlife like lions and
tigers and elephants”