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SUMMER 2012
t was really dark, nearly pitch black, as I made my decent
to 1,300 feet. It was hot on the surface, but as I dived
deeper the heat quickly dissipated, and condensation
started to drip from the thick acrylic dome above my
head. As I drifted deeper and deeper into the abyss, I
peered through my window and looked down, trying to find
some kind of visual reference. At 780 feet I could just make
out the shape of a tiny submersible sitting on an enormous,
white sandy ledge. The sight was totally unbelievable and a bit
intimidating — imagine looking down from a huge skyscraper
and seeing a tiny spot of light on the street below. Now imagine
you’re falling rapidly toward that light.
As I passed the 1,000-foot mark, I started to think about
where to land and how to avoid smashing into one of the
world’s great explorers. As I contemplated the possible
headlines and the end to my career, a voice crackled on the
radio: “Kip, is that you? Can you turn on your lights so I can
guide you in?” Oh crap, I should have turned on my lights
at 700 feet. I responded, “Sure, Sylvia, but I hate to ruin this
great ambience.” She laughed and said, “Good point. Shall
I turn off my lights, too?” I laughed, tripped my lights and
landed 20 feet away from “her deepness” — Dr. Sylvia Earle.
I met Earle in 1998 while I was working for the Sustainable
Seas Expeditions, a five-year partnership between the
National Geographic Society and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to explore the
United States’ National Marine Sanctuaries using one-
person submersibles called DeepWorkers. National Marine
Sanctuaries are federally designated areas within U.S. waters
that provide protection for significant ecological, historic and
recreational areas. Currently there are 14 marine sanctuaries
encompassing more than 150,000 square miles. During this
five-year period, I spent weeks at sea with Earle — scuba
diving, sub diving and watching for countless hours as this
incredible woman put every ounce of her being into saving
this blue planet of ours.
Hope SpotS
Now, 10 years later, Earle has launched a new campaign called
Mission Blue, a global initiative formed in response to her
2009 TED Prize wish. In the acceptance speech she gave after
winning the prize, Earle urged people to “use all means at your
T E X T A N D P H O T O S B y K i P F . E v A N S
Sylvia EarlE’S quESt to SavE thE ocEan