Moment of Sanctuary – a Personal Statement
By Dierdre Whalen, Government and Community Relations Coordinator, NOAA- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Dear Community Members:
I thought you may enjoy a ‘Moment of Sanctuary’ during your busy day. Please feel free to share the information below ….
What’s in a name? Our Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is often called “The Serengeti of the Sea.” Have you ever been to the Serengeti? I haven’t, but I can certainly appreciate the nickname. Especially after watching this video, provided to me by one of our sanctuary supporters, Ms. Peggy Staph of Marine Life Studies. Peggy is a dedicated volunteer, an amazing ocean advocate, a tenacious ocean-garbage-prevention-specialist, and an enthusiastic observer of wildlife. That won’t all fit on a business card, but you get the idea. Take a moment, exhale, and watch her minute-long video below and you’ll see why MBNMS acquired the moniker. https://www.facebook.com/MBNMS
Details, Factoids, & Comparisons: The Serengeti is no doubt amazing, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that a quick google search indicates they have approximately 70 larger mammals and approximately 500 bird species.
It has a number of habitats ranging from riparian forests, swamps, isolated rock hills, grasslands and woodlands. Big whoop, right? So follow this link to more information….
MBNMS has the following: 34 kinds of marine mammals; more than 180 seabirds & shorebirds; at least 525 species of fishes; 31 phyla of invertebrates; more than 450 types of marine algae (known among the lay person as kelp or seaweed, but we like to be fancy); 1,276 reported shipwrecks & 718 prehistoric sites; AND rugged rocky shores, wave-swept sandy beaches, and tranquil estuaries. Just sayin’…
Travel, Recreation, & Tourism – Want more? We all know that people travel from around the world to visit this gorgeous area. Have you given thought to how you could better market your business with regard to its unique proximity to the national marine sanctuary? Feel free to re-post the video above from our Facebook page to yours, or utilize our other resources. Sanctuary staff created a free photo library containing over 4,000 gorgeous digital images of animals, habitats, and locations. Search away for your favorite marine mammal, fish, invertebrate or bird! http://sanctuarysimon.org/photos/
Promote the Sanctuary; promote your business; promote our beautiful central coast!
National Marine Sanctuaries- Special Ocean (& Great Lake) Places: There are only fourteen of these sites in the entire United States. Fourteen. Would you like to learn more? Take a peek here: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/welcome.html. You’ll be fluent in Sanctuaries in no time!
Need more inspiration? Or just not ready to get back to work? How about some Ocean Poetry?!?
Pablo Neruda may have said it best in this excerpt from Poet’s Obligation:
To whoever is not listening to the sea
This Friday morning, to who ever is cooped up
in house or office, factory or woman
or street or mine or dry prison cell,
to him I come, and without speaking or looking
I arrive and open the door of his prison…
…wherever those in prison may be,
wherever they suffer the sentence of the autumn,
I may be present with an errant wave,
I may move in and out of the windows,
and hearing me, eyes may lift themselves,
asking “How can I reach the sea?”
Take a moment to enjoy the sea today. Get out there! It’s your national marine sanctuary!
Check Out This Great Website for Maps
Where to Find Mammals