ARTICLES FOR THE WORLD OCEANS DAY-2021

India Alters Course towards the Seas: World Oceans Day 2021

Our Blue planet the Earth has a dominance of the maritime domain, with over 70% of the Earth’s surface covered by water, nearly 80% of the world population living within 200 nautical miles from the coast and about 90% of the world trade transiting by the sea. Oceans are therefore central to life on Earth. They are rich in oil and mineral resources; they are the suppliers of Oxygen, absorbers of Carbon dioxide, a virtual heat sink, and rich in biodiversity and have emerged as the global economic highways for transit of seaborne trade. With depletion of resources on land, humankind has turned towards the sea for resources and there is a misperception that oceans have an unending resource base and are an infinite sink, but nothing could be further away from reality. Over the past few decades, we are witnessing pollution of the seas and contamination of the natural marine habitat, resulting in an adverse impact of climate change on the oceans. Studies have indicated that almost 80% of pollutants in the oceans emanate from land and if the current rate of pollution continues in a few decades we will have more plastic in the oceans than fish.

The concept of Blue Economy has emerged as a new paradigm and I would like to define harnessing the Blue Economy as Economic Development of all our maritime interests but by efficient utilisation of marine resources, with minimum impact on the environment to ensure sustainable development of the oceans.

While there is an ocean of opportunities to harness the Blue Economy there is a need to provide a safe, secure and stable environment in the maritime domain which can only be provided by comprehensive maritime security co-operation between the maritime forces of the region.

Blue Economy: Image Curtsey: www.civilsdaily.com

The waters of the Indo Pacific have emerged as global economic highways, but the seas are no longer a benign medium and globalisation has resulted in vulnerability of the oceans. The threats and challenges in the maritime domain are as wide and varied as they come and include piracy, maritime terrorism, arms trafficking, drug smuggling, human trafficking and poaching or IUU fishing.

The instabilities and turbulence on land and issues related to territorial integrity, sovereignty, and control of resources in some parts of the Indo Pacific Region have the potential to spill over into the maritime domain and the situation can best be described as ‘fragile’, consequently over 120 warships from over 20 navies are always present in the Indian Ocean Region to safeguard their maritime interests. In addition, naval assets are regularly deployed in the South China Sea to ensure freedom of navigation.

In order to meet the threats and challenges, the Navies and Coastguards of the region need to have an effective information sharing arrangement to enhance the Maritime Domain Awareness across the Indo Pacific Region. India has leveraged technology to launch the Naval Communication Satellite Rukmini in 2013. In addition, India has set up an extensive NC3I network, by linking up the AIS Chain, the coastal Radar Stations and 51 stations of the Navy and the Coast Guard at the Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), which was set up by the Indian Navy in 2014. In addition, the Information Fusion Centre has been set up by the Indian Navy in 2018, as collaboration for safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region.

Another challenge on the waters of the Indo Pacific Region is that indiscriminate pollution of the seas has resulted in a detrimental impact of climate change on the oceans. Consequently, a large percentile of extreme climatic conditions turn into natural disasters and our Navies and Coast Guards have to be constantly ready to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Another area where Navies and their hydrographic assets can play a significant role is Marine Spatial Planning. There is a need to systemically map the coastal areas and the exclusive Economic zones to prevent creation of ‘offshore ocean slums’, and optimally exploit the sea areas for harnessing Blue Economy.

The high seas which cover nearly 50% of the Earth’s surface are the least protected area on the planet. The Sea lines of communication are the arteries for the flow of oil and trade. Any impediment to the free flow of oil or trade will have a detrimental impact, not just on the economies of the region but the global economy as well. Navies of maritime countries in the region will therefore need to work together to evolve a common rule-based international order and ensure freedom of navigation in the global commons. Maritime security is an enabler of the Blue economy and safety, security and stability in the maritime domain are prerequisites for harnessing the blue economy. No single Navy is robust enough to ensure safety and security in the global commons on its own and there is a need to examine connectivity options and existing maritime structures to promote maritime cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.

As far as the existing structures are concerned, we find them at three levels in the Indian Ocean region. At the conceptual level, we have the concept of SAGAR, which stands for Security and growth for all in the region and is the vision of the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. At the political level, we have the Indian Ocean Rim Association for promoting cooperation among the countries of the region. At the execution level of the navies, we have the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, which is a unique initiative taken by the Indian Navy in 2008 and today provides a template to promote maritime cooperation among navies of the Indian Ocean Region.

The SAGAR Concept: Image Curtsey: blog.forumias.com

Similarly, in the Indo-Pacific region at the conceptual level, we could consider the strategy for free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, at the political level, we have the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad construct and at the execution level of the navies we need to formalize the structure between navies of the Quad countries, to provide synergy to enhance maritime cooperation across the Indo-Pacific.

India is essentially a maritime nation with vast maritime interests which are enablers of our Blue Economy and have a vital relationship with the nation’s economic growth. In recent years, under the leadership of our Honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, there have been a series of initiatives for sustainable development in the maritime domain including the quest to harness the Blue economy.

I will now highlight some of the salient recommendations to chart the way ahead, as India once again alters course towards the seas to emerge as a resurgent Maritime nation. 

As a maritime nation, India has significant potential to harness the Blue Economy. We need to chart a national level Action Plan for the Blue Economy for sustainable development of our maritime interests and ocean resources.

During the Maritime Summit, the honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had recommended that in the maritime sector we should avoid working in Silos. Taking off from the Honourable PM’s vision, we should adopt an integrated approach in the maritime sector.  There is a need for an apex level Organisation to coordinate and integrate the planning processes of various departments and agencies in the maritime domain for economic development of our maritime interests and monitoring of the Blue economy initiatives.

The Sagarmala project is the flagship project of the Ministry of ports, shipping and waterways, which is a port led initiative based on four pillars of port modernization, connectivity, port led industrialization and coastal community development. We need to incorporate marine spatial planning while developing ports and coastal areas to ensure a planned and sustainable development of the maritime domain.

The Ministry of ports, shipping and waterways has taken several initiatives to support the shipbuilding, ship repair and ship recycling industries. However, there is a mismatch between Flag and Trade. While 95% of our external trade by volume and 77% by value transits by sea, only 7% is carried in Indian hulls. We need to draw up a national shipbuilding plan to optimally load our indigenous shipyards and ensure that we build a variety of large and small ships in different tonnage and categories. These ships should be constructed in accordance with the energy efficiency design index, approved by the IMO and propelled by environmentally friendly fuel.

India has a thriving fishing industry with 250,000 fishing boats and four million active fishermen and is the second largest fish producing nation in the world.  However, this is only scratching the surface as 90% of fishing in Indian waters is restricted to our coastal areas and there is hardly any deep sea fishing activity in Indian waters. The Government has promulgated the National Policy on Fisheries.  We now need to focus on Deep sea fishing and sustainable fishing. We also need to induct deep sea fishing trawlers and processing platforms constructed in indigenous shipyards. In addition we need to set up processing zones for providing employment opportunities for the coastal community and enhancing fisheries exports.

India has over 1300 islands and islets as part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep group of Islands. The Government has prepared a comprehensive Island development plan, taking into account aspects of security, economic sustenance, environmental preservation, social and cultural sustenance. We need to develop green field infrastructure, with minimum carbon footprint for cruise tourism and controlled ecotourism.  The development of port infrastructure in the A&N Islands would also increase the connectivity options and enhance marine tourism and sea borne trade with our littoral neighbours, as there are seven countries located on the rim of the Bay of Bengal, which is one of the largest bays in the world.

India also needs to focus on offshore oil and gas exploration, deep seabed mining in the area allocated in Central Indian Ocean. However we need to ensure that we preserve the ecology and environment and prevent any damage of the natural marine habitat.

In addition it should be our endeavour to pursue options for ocean based sources of renewable energy, such as offshore wind, tidal and wave energy and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion.

In order to fully implement the Honourable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR, security and growth for all in the region, we need to draw up a comprehensive roadmap for maritime cooperation with various countries in the region (with whole of Govt approach) to ensure safe, secure and sustainable seas and to shape a positive and favourable environment across the Indo Pacific region.

The Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has launched the dynamic initiative of Swachh Bharat. We need to extend the initiative to Swachh Sagar and India could take the lead to work with countries of the region and draw up an action plan to ensure clean and healthy oceans for our future generations.

The seas around us are gaining new found importance as each day goes by and I have no doubt that the current century is the century of the seas. India has vast maritime interests which are enablers of our blue economy. As India alters course towards the seas to emerge as a resurgent maritime nation we need to ensure that these maritime interests which have a vital relationship with the nation’s economic growth are allowed to develop unhindered at all times.

Admiral RK Dhowan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM (Retd.), is the former Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy. During his distinguished service, he formulated many far-reaching doctrines for the Indian Navy such as Maritime Cooperation Roadmap (2014), Maritime Infrastructure Perspective Plan (2015), Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy (2015) and the Indian Maritime Doctrine (updated 2015). He is the former Chairman of the National Maritime Foundation, which is India’s premier maritime think tank. Presently as the Founder and Chairperson, Society for Aerospace Maritime and Defence Studies (SAMDeS); he is both the practitioner and promoter of broader maritime thinking and fresh strategic perspectives. Admiral Robin Dhowan has been lecturing extensively at all leading military colleges, think-tanks and academia in India, as well as at various apex-level institutions abroad; articulating his views on how the maritime strategic landscape has been changing in the world and the leading role India as a resurgent maritime nation would play in the Indo-Pacific region.

Oceans and Me: Some Selective Interpretations

Come to think of it: the ocean is the one true physical connection between each continent, and by extension, each person on Earth.  That alone makes it worthy of more than just one dedicated day of celebration every year, the World Oceans Day. And as one having been a sea-faring man, I would know that. As a matter of fact, I would know it because this is where I chose to play and live, both professionally and passionately, the best part of my life. Much has been contemplated, discussed, debated and deliberated on the oceans, since decades. I will restrict myself, only picking to the little known and little appreciated dimensions from the ocean’s awe-inspiring phenomenon of wonders, and relate it to my selective interpretations that continue to remain close to my heart.

Mankind’s relationship with the oceans has been multi-pronged and has been expounded through various forms of expressions. These voicing’s echoes are found in literature, art, poetry, film, theatre, classical music, as well as in mythology. Let me draw a few well-known ones from this vast repertoire of creative relationship between man and ocean; before setting out a few little known or unknown realities of the oceans and possible simple actions by us as individuals.

Ever since the written word came into use, a lot has been written about the mighty Oceans: from the epic poem of Homer, Odyssey; the exploratory journey of Charles Darwin in The Voyage of Beagle; through the intriguing rum-bottled stories of Long John Silver, the pirate of Treasure Island fame of our childhood days; Moby Dick by Herman Melville, with mesmerizing characters and chilling descriptions of the sea and perhaps “the greatest book of the sea ever written” that left an indelible mark on my young mind; the futuristic classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne with Captain Nemo at the controls of a submarine;  The Silent World by the famous under-sea explorer Jacques Cousteau; Deep by James Nestor, an ode to the extreme sport of free-diving; Song for the Blue Ocean by Carl Safina that takes the reader on a lyrical journey through the oceans from the coasts to the deep abyss; down to the recent seminal book The Ocean of Churn by Sanjeev Sanyal, where Sanjeev explains how the Indian Ocean shaped human history; are a few of my selected treatises for others to ruminate into.

On another creative take of the visual kind, we could transpose our minds to the scenic creations of the oceans through the paintings of famous painters: The Great Wave of Katsushika Hokusa that depicted the ocean near Mount Fuji in all its famously unpredictable anger, which filled many sailors with an extreme sense of trepidation at having to sail near this area. The iconic and haunting image of The Fighting Temeraire of J.M.W Turner, depicts a point in time when sailed ships had begun to be rendered obsolete by steam and other powered ships that were able to cover distances faster and more efficiently.

Few paintings have been able to capture the sheer realism of the ocean’s waves and their majestic variable forms that intertwine with the rising and setting sun like The Ninth Wave by Ivan Aivazovsky. Winslow Homer’s painting titled The Gulf Stream is one that accurately shows the picturesque, yet terrifying nature of sea voyages. The painting, completed in 1899, depicts a single man inside a rudderless boat as it drifts along the ocean current amidst a swarm of hungry sharks. The painting is a grim reminder that life at sea has a considerable level of risk, at any point, praised for its level of symbolism and detail. The Impression, Sunrise of Claude Monet became famous for the classic impressionistic scene in a manner that highlighted the many different colors and hues that made up the natural world and was done in a style that brought in subtle changes and uses of soft coloration to portray the first glint of light shining in the morning sun. Monet went on to paint another classic scene off the coastal landmark port of La Harve, France in his La Terrace de Sainte Adresse, known for its bustling shipping scene that often features a wide array of vessels coming and going.

In yet another take of oceans represented in the sonorous notes of music, let me present to you a few of the notes that have the ability to transpose our mind and thoughts to unify with the harmony of the oceanic elements at play. Wagner’s Overture to the Flying Dutchman, a legendary ghost ship that can never make port and is doomed to sail the oceans forever. The central theme is redemption through love. Every seven years, the Flying Dutchman, who is condemned to roam the sea for having defied God, is cast ashore to seek redemption. Only the love of a faithful woman, willing to sacrifice her life for him, can release him from his curse. But what a stormy sea passage he has to endure before achieving that ambition!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqezCR_XzaI

Williams Vaughan’s A Sea Symphony, reflects his dual fascination with the sea and with the poetry of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, for whom the sailors were brave explorers, analogous to human souls on the vast oceans of life. The Symphony celebrates the triad of a thunderous chorus to behold the oceans, through the lapping of waves on the shore, onto  a crescendo of the lash of waves to end in a finale of conjuring up a spell-binding image of the glassy oceans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JARJS3Ra0bc

Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture heralds the sea-farer’s visit to the remote islands in the oceans with their lurking caves where the waves batter against the forlorn shores. It also brings to mind the poem The Solitary Reaper of Wordsworth, that eulogized the Cuckoo birds in the Hebrides.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcogD-hHEYs

These are a few immersive experiences to relive the oceans in our hearts, and certainly form a “few of my favourite things”.

Sometimes, just a few words are all it takes to remind us of our connection to the dazzling, life-filled oceans and to exemplify that thought, let us ponder a minute to dig through some amazing thoughts from authors, presidents, musicians, and plenty of other inspiring figures, about just why we love the sea so much:

“Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.” ~William Arthur Ward

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” ~Jacques Cousteau

“The Ocean is a mighty harmonist.” ~William Wordsworth

“No water, no life. No blue, no green.” ~Sylvia Earle

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch, we are going back from whence we came.” ~John F. Kennedy

“For each of us, then, the challenge and opportunity is to cherish all life as the gift it is, envision it whole, seek to know it truly, and undertake with our minds, hearts and hands to restore its abundance. It is said that where there’s life there’s hope, and so no place can inspire us with more hopefulness than that great, life-making sea that singular, wondrous ocean covering the blue planet.” ~Carl Safina

“One drop of water helps to swell the ocean…none are too small, too feeble, too poor to be of service. Think of this and act.” ~Hannah More

“To me the sea is a continual miracle; The fishes that swim–the rocks–the motion of the waves–the ships, with men in them. What stranger miracles are there?” ~Walt Whitman

“The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea.” ~Isak Dinesen

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.” ~John F. Kennedy

“Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it’s sent away.” ~Sarah Kay

“And so castles made of sand, fall into the sea, eventually.” ~Jimi Hendrix

“Being out there in the ocean, God’s creation, it’s like a gift he has given us to enjoy.” ~Bethany Hamilton

“The ocean is a central image. It is the symbolism of a great journey.” ~Enya

“How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.” ~Arthur C. Clarke

“Ocean: A body of water occupying two-thirds of a world made for man – who has no gills.” ~Ambrose Bierce

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” ~Mother Teresa

The climate crisis has given us all a renewed appreciation for our planet’s oceans and the marine life that lives beneath the water’s surface that has necessitated conservation initiatives all over the world. What you might not have heard, though, is that sea waves can move at hundreds of miles per hour. Or that the ocean's depths are home to millions of tons of gold. Or that the scientists have more detailed, more extensive maps of Mars than of our own oceans. Yes, as deep as our planet's oceans are in terms of sheer liquid, they're deeper still when it comes to mystery and fascination. And these little-known facts about the oceans are sure to confront our mind’s dimensions:

1. Our oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface.

With so much of the Earth’s surface taken up by ocean, it is evident how vital these marine environments are to the planet, and how much there still is to be explored.

2. The majority of life on Earth is aquatic.

As so much of the Earth’s surface is underwater, it comes as no surprise that marine species outnumber those on land. But, it’s an incredible 94 per cent of the Earth’s living species that exist within the oceans. That means those of us who live on land are part of a very, very small minority.

3. Less than five per cent of the planet’s oceans have been explored.

According to the Ocean Service, man has explored less than five per cent of Earth’s oceans. As researchers strive to discover more, we are continually getting to know our oceans better.

4. The world’s longest mountain chain is underwater.

Earth’s longest chain of mountains, the Mid-Ocean Ridge, is almost entirely beneath the ocean, stretching across a distance of 65,000 kilometres. It’s said that this mountain chain is less explored than the surface of Venus or Mars.

5. There are more historic artifacts under the sea than in all of the world’s museums.

Thanks to these millions of shipwrecks, from the Titanic to Christopher Columbus's Santa Maria, the ocean houses countless treasures and artifacts. National Geographic estimates that there are more treasures on the bottom of the ocean than in all the world's museums combined.

6. We still only know a fraction of the marine species in our oceans.

According to the World Register of Marine Species there are now 240,470 accepted species, but this is believed to be just a small proportion of the species that exist, with new marine life being discovered every day.

7. Over 70 per cent of our planet’s oxygen is produced by the ocean.

It’s thought that between 70 and 80 per cent of the oxygen we breathe is produced by marine plants, nearly all of which are marine algae.

8. It is possible to find rivers and lakes beneath the ocean.

When salt water and hydrogen sulfide combine, it becomes denser than the rest of the water around it, enabling it to form a lake or river that flows beneath the sea.

9. One iceberg could supply a million people with drinking water for five years.

A large iceberg from Antarctica contains more than 20 billion gallons of water, which could conceivably supply one million people with drinking water for five years. A company in the United Arab Emirates is actually planning to begin towing icebergs from Antarctica to the coast for exactly this reason. The country receives, on average, just four inches of rainfall each year, and is at risk of serious drought in the next 25 years, but may be able to solve the problem with this iceberg water solution.

10. Half of the United States exists below the ocean.

According to CBS News, more than half of the United States exists underwater. The paradox lies in the fact that the borders of USA don't stop where the land ends; they expand 200 nautical miles away from shore.

11. The ocean's canyons make the Grand Canyon seem small.

Not to take anything away from the gorgeous Grand Canyon on Earth, but the Zhemchug Canyon, located in the Bering Sea, has a vertical relief of 8,520 feet: almost 2,500 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon.

12. There's an internet connection in the ocean.

For the past few decades, according to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, submarine cables buried deep within the oceans have carried more than 97 percent of intercontinental data traffic; meaning that overseas communication is made possible by ocean-based cables.

13. Most of Earth's volcanic activity happens in the ocean.

When it comes to volcanic activity, the oceans have the most going on by a wide margin. In fact, 90 percent of all the volcanic activity on the planet happens in the ocean, and the largest known concentration of active volcanoes is in the South Pacific. It's an area no bigger than the size of New York, but it contains a whopping 1,133 volcanoes.

14. Tsunamis move at 500 miles per hour.

Tsunamis are triggered by seismic events and can, according to NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, move across the ocean at speeds of 500 miles per hour when the ocean depth is 3.7 miles. These waves are usually unnoticed, as they are only a few inches above the surface. And as the waves move towards land, and the depths shrink, they pick up water and increase in above-surface size (but, thankfully, slow down).

15. Thanks to the ocean, most of our planet is dark.

Oceans have an average depth of 12,100 feet and because light waves can only penetrate 330 feet of water, everything below that point is dark. Seeing as water makes up most of the planet, this means that most of Earth exists in absolute darkness all the time, and is one of the darkest objects in space.

16. The world's largest living structure is in the ocean.

The world's largest living structure isn't an enormous copse of trees or even a massive fungus: it's the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. The reef spreads out over an area of 133,000 square miles, and is so huge it can actually be seen from outer space.

17. If all the ice melted, the sea level would rise 26 stories.

According to the NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, if all of the glaciers and sheets of Arctic sea ice melted at the same time, the sea level would rise an estimated 262 feet, which is about the height of a 26-story building, just a bit shorter than the Statue of Liberty.

18. The ocean is a magnet for heat.

"The ocean is the largest solar energy collector on earth," according to NOAA, USA. The proliferation of greenhouse gases prevents heat from escaping our planet's atmosphere, and all that energy has to go somewhere, unfortunately, it goes straight into the oceans. As a result, ocean temperatures have rapidly risen over the past few decades.

19. The ocean is our greatest source of oxygen.

Most of the oxygen in our atmosphere comes from tiny marine plants in the ocean; specifically, phytoplankton, kelp, and algal plankton. Scientists estimate they're responsible for around 70 percent of the atmosphere's oxygen, according to National Geographic.

20. The biggest ocean waves are beneath its surface.

The biggest ocean waves are not the ones that you can see from the shoreline. As physical oceanographer Kim Martini told Deep Sea News, the largest waves that occur in the ocean are called internal waves, which take place between two fluids with two different densities. As these internal waves travel, for thousands of miles, no less, they can grow to be 650 feet tall.

21. We have better maps of Mars than of the ocean.

Less than five percent of the ocean has been explored, according to the National Ocean Service. In fact, we have better maps of Mars than of the oceans, despite the fact that it's nearly 50 million miles away.

22. More than 90 percent of the planet's life forms are undiscovered and underwater.

Because precious little of the oceans have been explored, it is currently estimated that 91 percent of the species that exist under the sea have yet to be discovered, according to a 2011 study published in the renowned PLOS Biology Journal.

23. Nearly 100 percent of Earth's living space is in the ocean.

The oceans make up almost all of the living space on Earth. This makes the world's oceans the largest spaces in the known universe inhabited by living organisms.

(Sources: https://www.trafalgar.com, https://bestlifeonline.com, https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk)

“The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods” is the theme for World Oceans Day 2021, as well as a declaration of intentions that launches a decade of challenges to get the Sustainable Development Goal: “Conserve and sustainably, in the use the oceans, seas and marine resources”, by 2030.

This year's theme is especially relevant in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021 to 2030. The Decade will strengthen international cooperation to develop the scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society.

The ocean contains unique biodiversity, provides valuable food resources and is a major link between us and human existence. As I close my discourse, and as a discerning citizen, having seen the oceans very close, I would recommend the following ten simple but significant actions by the common people to help the oceans, and themselves thereby:

Around Home

1. Conserve Water

Use less water so excess runoff and wastewater will not flow into the ocean.

2. Reduce Pollutants

Choose nontoxic chemicals and dispose of herbicides, pesticides, and cleaning products properly.

3. Reduce Waste

 Cut down on what you throw away.

Around Town

4. Shop Wisely

Choose sustainable seafood. Buy less plastic and bring a reusable bag.

5. Reduce Vehicle Pollution

Use fuel efficient vehicles, carpool or ride a bike.

6. Use Less Energy

 Choose energy efficient light bulbs and don't overset your thermostat.

On the Water

7. Fish Responsibly

Follow "catch and release" practices and keep more fish alive.

8. Practice Safe Boating

Anchor in sandy areas far from coral and sea grasses. Adhere to "no wake" zones.

9. Respect Habitat

Healthy habitat and survival go hand in hand. Treat with care.

10. Anytime, Anywhere

Volunteer

Volunteer for cleanups at the beach and in your community. You can get involved in protecting your watershed too!

Oceans and Me: Some Images and Contemplations

Sketches at sea: sunset, pencil, pen and ink, by the author, 1979

Oceans, a living word for me, effervesces myriad images that can run the entire gamut of all the figures of speech of the language of my write. It is not without reason that I take recourse to rhetoric, as I were to discover as an adolescent in a little diary of my late father that, I was a Cancerian, born on the second day of July. With a new found curiosity and to track down the repertoire of an existential being called ‘I’, I burrowed the recently acquired book in my school library on Sun Signs by Linda Goodman (1968) and rummaged through the pages in the quietude of a deserted dormitory (lest my seniors found me giving wings to a young public school boy’s flights of fanciful overtures that the book was associated with, in those dreamy days of yore), to discover that I was born under a water sign. Linda, besides the usual fare, further forebade that I would take to the water bodies with glee, short of prowling them.

The beauty of our lives is that “intuition goes before you, showing you the way. Emotion follows behind, to let you know when you go astray”. Linda was ‘bulls-eye’; as I was to ascertain later, when a slew of circumstances juxtaposed in a kaleidoscope of changing visions that finally coalesced to find me joining the Indian Navy. The rest can be summed up in Fyodor Dostoevsky’s line from White Nights, “But how could you live and have no story to tell?”

The Navy gave me the opportunities to move on the oceans, fly above it and land on mighty aircraft carriers that majestically prowled the seas, and an invited occasion to go under in the bowels of a submarine. Life was measured in events of variegated experiences interspersed with moments of blissful silences (if you had the flair for it) that gave you time for quiet contemplation; graced in the company of the blue vastness, pounding waves, the elusive horizon and the rapturous company of the flying fish, dolphins, the friendly sea gulls and the impromptu whale.  To me, the welcome and unrestricted rains at sea came like fingers tapping at my shoulders beckoning to compose an idyll of relationships, while the vast laden sky with the caressing wind comforted like an umbrella of assuring consolation.

Sketches at sea: charcoal and pencil, by the author, 1980

Sketches at sea: pencil, by the author, 1981

Sketches at sea: pen and ink, by the author, 1984

Sketches at sea: pen and ink, by the author, 1984

My early introduction to the Ocean was laced with traditions, like a new bride being introduced to the clan. It started with an initiation into the fold of Lord Varuna, the keeper of the Seas and all its trappings; both living and non-living. The Hindu Puranas eulogise Varuna as the god of oceans, the sky, water and the rivers. His consort is Varuni, who married Varuna after she came out of the Samudra Manthan. Varuna is revered as the king of the universe, possessing a thousand eyes with an unlimited knowledge and power over the world. As the keeper of the moral law, he punishes those who transgress his laws but forgives them out of compassion, if they repent and pray. As given in Natyasashtra, the Mantra to Varuna to be uttered at the time of obeisance is as follows, and it became the foundational words of my oceanic initiation:

 I was ordained soon to discover the power and authority of the dictum of Lord Varuna(the western equivalent is King Neptune).

Having taken to little scribbles after laying down my uniform, of the many memories and nostalgic recalls, one that is indelibly etched in my mind is the occasion when I crossed the Equator for the first time on March 22, 1974 at 1400hrs IST; on way to Mauritius, aboard the history-laden Naval ship, INS Delhi, the erstwhile Second World War Royal Navy ship HMS Achilles of Battle of River Plate fame. To the ocean traveler, Equator marks the domain of Varuna and every seafarer crossing it for the first time faces the Court of Varuna, wherein you are initiated into the Lord’s domain after you are heard and sentenced, if any, for all your misdemeanours in the traverse of the Lord’s domain.

As the still ship drifted on the equatorial line, I was presented before His Majesty’s court (dramatically enacted by the ship’s selected staff), that consisted of Lord Varuna, his consort Varuni and a few creature representatives of his domain. A scroll of my misconduct, that seemed like from a previous birth, was read out with all seriousness, resulting in a terse verdict to the cheers of Varuna’s subjects, that necessitated I be thrown overboard to the mercy of the oceanic elements.

With sympathy on a flight, I was suitably heaved aloft off my all-fours and thrown overboard, in the good old tradition since the days of Marco Polo, into the waiting watery abode of the Lord’s subjects (while in all seriousness sharpshooters with guns stood on the deck to take care should the Lord’s larger Piscean subjects ‘cross the line’ themselves). It was sometime before I was hauled up, but not before a bellyful of the saline water and many a repetitions of the Lord’s Prayer! It was a humbling experience of being “between the devil and the deep sea”. At the end of the ‘Crossing the Line Ceremony’, a merciful but much cherished certificate was received from the hands of Lord Varuna (the ship’s Captain) himself, as I thanked Linda and her Sun Signs.

(Elsewhere, the ceremony observes a mariner's transformation from slimy Pollywog, a seaman who hasn't crossed the equator, to trusty Shellback, also called a Son or Daughter of Neptune. It was a way for sailors to be tested for their seaworthiness.)

Photo: Crossing the Equator Ceremony aboard Indian Naval Ship, 1970s: courtesy Vikram Karve

Crossing the Line Certificate of the Author, 1974                                                 

The Oceans were the means of my being, as it were. It stitched itself into my daily life like a fabric that I could not refuse to be wrapped with. Who can forget the young cadets days getting ones sea-legs from scrubbing the wooden decks with ‘Holy Stones’ (as they were called, in reality pumice stones), keeping your ‘Watch’ on the ‘Crows Nest’(the highest point on the mast that a lookout was placed to forewarn of the land ahead, the failure of which led to the sinking of the Titanic), stretching out on my ‘Bunk’(the bed in reality) in the ‘Chest Flat’(the room we shared) after a tiring day of hauling ‘Blocks and Tackles’(the contraptions that uses the lever system to lift and tranfer weights), rising early before the dawn beautified the unresticted distant horizon with myriad colours, to head for the ‘Heads’(the ablutionary commodes in reality) and many more nuggets of memory’s recalls that would have run parellel to the journals of a James Cook, a Columbus, a Vaso-da-Gama or a Sir Francis Drake of the pirate’s fame. Many of the sailor’s lingo still permeates my house, to the bemoan of an able wife or son. The Ocean was, is and will be all permeating, until I find myself, if lucky, to be consigned to the ‘Davy Jone’s Locker’(a metaphor for the bottom of the sea).

It is not that the mighty Oceans, expansive and enticing as they are, did not have its moments of despair and uncertainty. It is much akin to the rise and fall of the emotions of a man, full of the idiosyncrasies that we as the highest of species experience. The congruity of emotions of the Oceans and Man has stirred many a writers to kindle their minds.

It roused Shakespeare to quote in his play Much Ado about Nothing:

“Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever,

One foot in sea and one on shore,

To one thing constant never.”

(Wonder, with the induction of women into the Naval ranks lately, what Shakespeare would have coined!)

Hear the lovelorn Juliet proclaiming to her beloved Romeo in the play Romeo and Juliet:

“My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep. The more I give thee, the more I have,

For both are infinite.”

Or, read the poignant ocean-themed lines of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, The Ancient Mariner, with the moral of his ballad being to appreciate all forms of life:

“He prayeth best, who loveth best

All things both great and small;

For the dear God who loveth us,

He made and loveth all.”
 

As I close the day with my oration of the past naval days that came in a flurry of harried emotions; I endear my dear readers to hold breath for the part 2 that will take you closer to the driven realities of the Oceans and Seas of today. Until then, appreciate the following little presentation celebrating the World Oceans Day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4W5HultwHw

Debi Padhi was born in the city of Cuttack, India. A retired Naval Aviator, with a Masters in English Literature and a Masters in Journalism and Mass Communications; has a passion for the creative arts and is a freelance writer on varied subjects that have been published widely. He along with his wife are running an HR Training organization that, besides Corporate Training, counsels and empowers the youth to their full potential.