The Unstoppable Sylvia Earle

I met Dr. Earle back in 2015 when I worked on shark conservation.  She was a Shark Stanley Ambassador.

Working in ocean conservation has been pretty tough the last few months.  I won't get into the specifics, but if you pay attention to these sorts of things then you know what I'm talking about.

But then there are weeks where you get to hang out with Dr. Sylvia Earle in Chile.  Two weeks ago I had the chance to spend four days with Sylvia during a workshop on ocean conservation.  It's incredible to spend time (and share some wine or maybe a pisco sour or two) with someone as accomplished as Dr. Earle.

She says things like, "when I started diving in 1953..."

"The first time I lived underwater..."

"When I headed NOAA..."

And she says them as if they are perfectly normal.  After all, she's lived underwater 10 times!

Dr. Earle is the real deal and she is tireless and unstoppable.

I had the good fortune to be selected to take her diving while we were in Easter Island, and took this epic photo of her flipping backwards off the boat into the water.

Unstoppable! Her Deepness @SylviaEarle splashes down in Chilean waters at Easter Island last month! #NoBlueNoGreen pic.twitter.com/ZZGPJ9zTmQ

— Mission Blue (@MissionBlue) May 4, 2017

She's 81, folks.  I just love this photo.  It makes me think of those photos of President George H.W. Bush jumping out of airplanes.  80 is the new 25.