The Ocean's Deep Nerves

Taken in 2015 in Northern California.

The ocean has been making headlines within the last month or so, and somehow the ocean has been more political than I have in the last five years.

For starters, the Orcas are flipping over yachts. which is awesome. Go Orcas! Seriously, who knew they were the comrades we needed in the fight against the filthy rich?

Then, of course, the OceanGate submersible imploding in the middle of the ocean. As a relatively poor person, this incident illustrates how out of touch and idiotic the rich can be. The experience of seeing the Titanic under the ocean costs $250,000 per head—an experience only the rich could ever have. But the experience means stuffing yourself in a tin can with four other randos, operated by an X-Box controller, doesn’t seem worth the quarter of a million dollars, but YOLO! Not to mention the CEO/dude who literally created a tin can to explore the depths of the sea made a mention of how many rules he broke to create said tin can. Showroom dummies like this fuckwad prove how having an inflated ego, a little cash, and knowing other dummies with lots of disposable cash can truly engineer the dumbest death trap in existence. Brilliant!

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Going to the beach at night scares me. The vastness of the ocean combined with being unable to see anything but the reflection of the moonlight bouncing off the dark waves reminds you just how small and insignificant you are. If staring at the ocean doesn’t humble you, your ego is on another plane. I read an article how more people are trying to explore the depths of the ocean, and that we should anticipate more tragedies such as this one to occur on a more frequent basis.

The ocean is mysterious, and there is a reason why there is so much about it we don’t know. For one, we haven’t managed to create exploratory vehicles and equipment to withstand the ocean’s pressure and investigate what lies beneath. As much as the ego of Man would love to explore every inch of the Earth’s surface, colonize every uninhabited territory, and stick their dick in every hole that is wide and gaping, Man has yet to understand that nature is a powerful force,. It has the ability to be a nurturing friend as much as it can be a fierce enemy. It’s temperament is unpredictable. To think technology and the human mind can outsmart it is a tacky display of hubris.

Change in climate conditions has been predicted through how the ocean reacts. Is it any wonder the ocean and its many creatures are fighting back? To prevent any future colonization? To stop Man’s destruction of nature? To show respect and care to an ecosystem that is continuously being trashed and disregarded?

I can see being intoxicated and seduced by the mystery of the open sea. Its beauty is hypnotic, its strength can’t compare to anything else on this planet. At the same time, I can also acknowledge the power it wields, and I could never win that battle. I’m okay with being a “pussy” when it comes to the ocean. I can accept there are things about it I will never know, and I am at peace with that.

A little mystery never hurt anyone.