by Earle and a council of scientists.
Where possible, Mission Blue
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 James
Cameron [explorer and Titanic fi lmmaker] 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”
philippine tatler. august 2019 63