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24 June 2006

Seeing Red

by Alex, onboard the Esperanza

Coral destruction
©Greenpeace/Macro Care

We've left the Mediterranean and headed through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea. The trip has been full of surprises. For a start, the Red Sea is blue.

It may be strangely named, but this so-called Red Sea is certainly full of underwater treasures. Check out our latest offering on Ocean Defenders TV. Its clear waters and varied marine life make this area a favourite for divers.

I had my first taste of Red Sea marine life this morning with a post-breakfast dolphin run. A dolphin run invovles someone, in this case Sari (Oceans Campaigner), yelling "There's a school of dolphins at the bow" and all in earshot sprinting towards the front of the ship at superhuman speed, leaping tall bollards in a single bound. We oohed and aahed as seven Bottlenose dolphins, including a mother and baby, swam alongside the Esperanza. They stayed long enough to say good morning before disappearing into the watery blue.

The Red Sea has amazing fauna and flora. In April, two of our photographers went on an under water mission to uncover the beauty of the Red Sea and its ongoing destruction. Sea turtles, tropical fish and coral reefs are making way for artificial beaches, high-rise buildings and sunburnt tourists.

       

The region also has some wonderful examples of marine reserves and sustainable tourism. Those lovely folks in the ecotourism industry have figured out that if you treat an environment with respect, then not only will it continue to be there for their visitors, but it will be in good shape for generations to come. Unfortunately in some places the tourist dollar is pushing uncontrolled coastal development, threatening to cause large scale damage to the under water habitats and ecosystems.

   

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Comments

Alex, your mention of the Red Sea has prompted me to remember Yellow Thing, and the fact that the crew member responsible for looking after it has managed to stay out of the rogues gallery. Poor show say I!!


Posted by: paulo at June 23, 2006 5:54 PM

Alex, your news about the marine reserves and sustainable tourism is most gratifying and a change from the usually gloomy environmental news. Hope you find more good news stories to web cast. Can we have a picture of you in scuba gear, to match the rust warrior? Love, J

Posted by: John at June 24, 2006 10:02 AM

Love the webcam. Makes it very real for us sitting at desks. Well done. Susie

Posted by: Susie at June 25, 2006 4:59 AM

you guys rock!! thank you for your hard work!!! take a day to chill in dahab and dive the blue hole there.

Posted by: miguel at June 27, 2006 8:37 PM

i lov the webcam .super work!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: mrs green at July 24, 2006 10:28 AM

hola, quisiera q la informacion este en castellano y no en english ok?

Hola Michelle,
lo siento mucho, pero no nos da tiempo de escribir en dos lenguas. Pero hay algunas informaciones en las paginas de Greenpeace en Espana.

Saludos, Heike, Web Editor

Posted by: michelle at August 27, 2006 3:28 PM

Very Interesting Stuff

Posted by: Ramo at August 30, 2006 1:03 AM

I would want that the office Green Peace would be in Georgia!!

Posted by: Eduard at September 2, 2006 4:13 PM

KEEP CONTINUING THE WORK AND MAYBE ONE DAY PEOPLE
WILL SEE THE TRUTH!!!!!!

GREENPEACE

Posted by: RAYMOND JOHNSTON at September 12, 2006 2:52 AM

my name is robert trivett and i am 10 years old and have home schooling and i think its trouble what people are doing to our world and animals it needs to be stoped. pleae send me news bye

Posted by: robert trivett at September 12, 2006 9:29 PM

my name is robert trivett and i am 10 years old and have home schooling and i think its trouble what people are doing to our world and animals it needs to be stoped. pleae send me news my mothe teachers me so much about our our land and country and its friends all our amimals should have the same rights as we should so they wont get so hurt and there babies should be left alone. i wish there could be peace on earth.

Posted by: robert trivett at September 12, 2006 9:36 PM

hi,
i am teaching english in china. We are currently discussing environmenatl issues around the world and i wonder how active, if at all, greenpeace is in china. i am just starting the class and have yet to find out if my chinese students are aware of green peace and of any environmental issues in china (which are too many to name of).

Any suggestions how chinese can get involved in environmenatl protection so i can introduce this to my students?

thanks,
claudia fiedler
thanks.

Posted by: claudia fiedler at September 16, 2006 10:02 AM

Hi Claudia,

You do not say where in China you are based or how old your students are. Greenpeace has offices in Beijing and Guangzhou as well as in Hong Kong. The China branches work on issues like climate change, ancient forests and genetically engineered food, to name a few. To find out more about Greenpeace in China, see the english language pages: www.greenpeace.org/china/en/ . Here you can keep updated on what's going on.

If your students are quite young, Beijing based organizations like Friends of Nature (Ziran zhi you), Global Village of Beijing (Beijing Diqiucun) and Roots & Shoots all have programmes that mainly focus on nature appreciation activities and that are especially designed for kids.

Many universities in China also have their own students' envrionmental organization, and these often arrange activities for kids.

Posted by: Camilla at September 20, 2006 6:06 AM

Ur so Great Dude!!

Could U tell me where the Greenpeace Office in Indonesia is??

Coral Reef in Indonesia has threatened because of global warming, tourism activities, sedimentation, etc.

i'm the student of Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Padjadjaran University coorporate together with local government and coastal communities, we'd like to do some coral transplantation to rehabilitate our coral reef ecosystems..

we'd like to try the Mineral Accretion Methode (Biorock) that developed by Hilbertz and Goreau. from the result of this methode in Bali, we could see that the coral can grow faster than in normal condition or with the coral that transplanted wih other methode...

for future work, we'd like to try this methode in Pangandaran Beach, as we know that coral reef in this area has been damaged by tsunami disaster on last July 2006..

I hope, Greenpeace can help us..
thanx 4 Ur attention and coorporation PAL!!

Posted by: Fiddy at September 24, 2006 6:09 AM

Hi Fiddy

Yes, we've got an office in Indonesia - it's in Jakarta. Details below:

Jalan Cimandiri 24,
Cikini, Jakarta 10330
tel: +62 (0)21 3101873, 3907251
fax: +62 (0)21 3102174
email: greenpeace.southeastasia@dialb.greenpeace.org

Posted by: Richella at September 27, 2006 6:49 AM

hi i'm shamala
The things that human kind do to nature makes me sick.
Even beaches in my country are getting polluted and making it impossible to have a healthy vacation.
I hope the Green Peace would do more and continue its quest in conserving and preserving the green world.
I am honoured to be part of this battle

Posted by: shamala at September 28, 2006 5:53 AM

IT IS CRUL

Posted by: kayleigh at September 28, 2006 10:54 AM

Hello there warrior of d green.....my name Tommy iam graduate from fisheries university of Jakarta (STP) Jakarta,from junior high i already join the environmental club,n u guys are legend 2 me,icant donate but itry 2 help our world 2 from jakarta n borneo...ok may god help us.tommy

Posted by: tommy prasetya at September 29, 2006 6:23 AM

Hi rainbown warriors!!
i´m from brasil and i really admire your work!í´m 19 years old but, when i´ll be able to support myself, i will become a part of greenpeace team! i know there´s a greenpeace office in sao paulo so i´ll start there!!
thank u guys for doing this amazing job, the most important one of all!

Posted by: Nicole Brusantin at October 5, 2006 12:36 AM

Hello Greenpeace My name is Phillip cassidy I am a greenpeace supporter I have always loved animals and I wish I that could be more help to the world,
But all I do is Walk dogs and I used to help out with horse Riding stables but not anymore I just walk dogs now and the owners are very kind
If there is anything I can do than Email me please there is one problem though I cannot give you donations 'cos' I haven't got alot of money but when have got money I always put lots in all animal charitys

Posted by: phillip at October 20, 2006 9:24 PM

hi there: i'm ely from Argentina.
i just want to soy that i love your work and i hope one day i'd be like every person who works for greenpeace
gracias por todo y sientanse muy orgullosos de su trabajo

Posted by: Eliana at October 28, 2006 3:58 AM

don't take all the tuna we can't loose all the good stuff

Posted by: greg gladwin at October 30, 2006 11:22 AM

I think that oceans are beautiful but dangerous. Also I believe that you are doing the right thing in your campaining for the preservation of all things of natural and beautiful. My parents say I'm to young to understand about these things but I'm 12 and I have always been around adults so I talk and act like an adult. Good luck with it and I hope to do my part one day!!!

Posted by: katherine outten at October 30, 2006 6:52 PM

gracias por todo lo bueno que hacen por mi madre tierra

from: colombia(south amarica)
to:the world
thanks for help the earth

Posted by: fernando castillo at November 1, 2006 1:48 PM

hey everyone...this is hectic hey? its so weird how we end up killing most of the things were supposed to be preserving for future generations... Anyways i think the work GreenPeace is doing is great and its awesome to see people standing up for their world... :D

Posted by: Yovanka at November 2, 2006 12:39 PM

Hey we are here to support....estoy aca para alludar.

Posted by: Lisette at November 3, 2006 8:02 PM

Hi

I live in sunny South Africa and would love Greenpeace to open a office here.

We have so many enviromental problems, just recently the South African Airport company dropped jet fuel into the lake at Kempton Park which is spreading to the surrounding dams and lakes. It is the third time that this has happened and they get away with it!! That beautiful, nature site will never recover. All the fish and birds in the area are dead. Even tap water in the area has been found unfit to drink.

Please, please can you look into it?

Posted by: Ange Walker at November 11, 2006 8:19 AM

love your site x x x x x x xwe need to ct now. . x x x x

Posted by: ella at November 17, 2006 1:38 PM

hola greenpeace los felicito por hacer una buena labor soy un joven ecuatoriano dde 20 años me gusta su labor y quiero saber como puedo formar parte de green peace...
quiero defender a nuestras ballenas
muchas gracias
tyrone flores
tyr1mos@hotmail.com

Posted by: tyrone at November 28, 2006 7:37 PM

hola green peace

la vida es un don que solo Dios lo da y lo quita y la labor que ustedes hacen de precerbarla es algo de admirar ya que lo mas bello de el mundo es la naturaleza y la vida misma, quisiera unirme a ustedes .

gracias por lo que hacen

Posted by: catherine at December 9, 2006 1:03 AM

Hey alex,
your page has inspired me to stop eating and drinking out of the ocean as you don't know who or what has been in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you

Posted by: Casey at February 15, 2007 3:53 PM

Hi, I'm off to the Red Sea in a couple of weeks time, going from Aden and sailing up to Aqaba. I was really encouraged to read the good comments concerning this wonderful region. Looking forward to a short stay in the Dhalak Isles off Eritrea.
Thanks Greenpeace - keep up the good policing of our world.

Posted by: Kris Saunders at March 11, 2007 11:04 AM

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