People of the Sea
下に
スクロール
Cliff Kapono
He’s returned for good after many years living far from here, earning his Ph.D. in chemistry, and his fears of being forgotten are starting to disappear. The people in his tight-knit town are glad to see him again. They treat him the same as ever. Because accountability, not accomplishment, is what matters most here. After the hyper-competitive hustle to advance or be left behind in the academic world, it’s liberating to be back where being a good person is all that matters. Where taking care of your community – very much including your environment – comes before taking care of business.
He paddles out, exhilarated to be one with the ocean again. There are whistles, waves, smiles from his fellow wave sliders. At the break where he learned to surf, and his father before him, his first wave back rises above the pink horizon. Cliff is home, and he drops right in.
How would you describe your relationship with the ocean?
The relationship that I've developed with the ocean is one like I feel you would develop with your parents or with a grandparent. It takes time. And sometimes there's certain things that you may not agree with. But at the end of the day, it's a love that's bigger than anything you've experienced before. That’s the relationship that I have with the sea.
For a lot of people, things like the ocean or a mountain are seen as impersonal parts of nature. How is that natural for you?
It’s hard for me to hear that people don't have a familial feeling with their surroundings. They don't see the rocks, or the trees, or the animals as part of their own family and that's hard for me to hear. Here in these islands, we grow up with that understanding. There's no teaching of it. It's kind of an innate understanding to see the rocks and the trees and the animals as family members. And I think it has helped us to exist in a place which for so long was isolated, and we're able to be very productive here by working together with not just humans but with the animals in the ocean or in the mountains, the trees and the rocks. We just all worked together to exist in this space.
And I think if more people understood how we're affecting the things around us, the people and the place, I think we might be a lot better off, you know?"And if more people understood how we're affecting the things around us, the people and the place, I think we might be a lot better off."
Right now everyone is so anthropocentric and just worrying about what's happening to themselves. But if we just took a little bit of time to understand how we're affecting our surroundings I think we could really improve a lot of the negativity that exists first just within our immediate space, then within our family, then within our small community. And I think that will exponentially extrapolate into really being able to have impact on a large scale, on a global level.
But as far as just understanding the individual, how am I affecting everything next to me? And that comes down to the bugs, and the grass, and the corals, and the light salt that sprays on the top of the waves. There's a whole other type of wind that happens when the wave breaks. And it kinda gets in your eyes, and to me it's kind of irritating but that's a whole different kind of wind that if you're not out there, understanding about that relationship, it's very difficult to know. That could be detrimental to your own well being. You go over the wave, it makes the wind go in your eyes and you can't see, you get pounded by the next one. I feel it's important for people to understand how they're affecting everything around them. And for me personally, I take that on a molecular level.
How might a visitor develop that understanding?
It’s simple, really. Just be aware. If you're aware, then you're not going in blind and saying, "I didn't know." That's probably one of the worst things that we encounter from many tourists, is they come like, "Oh, we didn't know." But if they're given an opportunity to know, they're gonna make the best decisions, you know? People don't come here to intentionally destroy Hawaii. That's not my belief. It's just they’re led to believe that you pay your first-class ticket, you deserve all these amenities provided by Hawaii. The way I see it, you pay your first-class ticket to be a first-class steward of the place you're visiting.More Stories
Browse Hawaii Adventures
Atlantis Submarines offers a one-of-a-kind underwater experience off the shorelines of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island, giving guests a close-up view of an array of marine life, exotic tropical reefs and numerous sunken vessels.
Kualoa is 4,000 acres of stunning tropical beauty offering a Jurassic Valley Zipline, ATVs, Raptor Tours, Boat tours, Hollywood Movie Site Tours, Food Tours as well as Horseback. If you've seen Jurassic World, you've seen Kualoa!
Holo Holo Charters is the only Kauai boat tour company that offers daily snorkeling and sightseeing trips to the Napali Coast and "Hawaii's Forbidden Island" of Niihau. Experience unique marine life while exploring sea caves, waterfalls, cliffs, beaches, and valleys. Call 808-335-0815 to learn more.
Let Hawaii Forest & Trail show you an authentic Oahu, utilizing our unparalleled land access and interpretive guiding approach to provoke authentic place-based experiences that illuminate the island’s unique regions through in-depth interactions with our nature and culture. Our Hawaii Oahu tours offer a different perspective.
Explore Maui Nui’s ocean environment with the experts at Pacific Whale Foundation through PacWhale Eco-Adventures top-rated Whalewatches, as well as award-winning snorkel cruises to Molokini & Turtle Arches, Lanai and Honolua Bay; Dolphin Watch ecotours; Sunset Dinner and Cocktail Cruises.
Kipu Ranch Adventures, located on the lush island of Kauai, is proud to be one of the top eco-tours in Hawaii. We enable visitors and residents alike to discover the rich history, landscape and legends that make Kauai activities unique. Come out and join us for a tropical 4x4 off road adventure.
Kauai Hiking Tours offers day hikes, backpacking trips and driving tours on Kauai Island. Our local guides are passionate about sharing their knowledge with aloha. We welcome adventurers of all ages & ability levels - several options of beginner, intermediate, and advanced tours are available.
Explore a forbidden coastline formed by Mt. Haleakala's last eruption. Experience close encounters with protected green sea turtles, race across the waves searching for dolphins, and snorkel the crystal waters of the world-famous Molokini Crater.
Snorkel with award-winning Fair Wind Cruises! Located on the Big Island of Hawaii, our snorkeling tour travels up the Kona Coast to snorkel at historic Kealakekua Bay marine sanctuary, site of Captain Cook Monument. Our family friendly tours will be the highlight of your Kona, Hawaii vacation!
If you can dream it, we can do it. Paradise Helicopters offers you the opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime while here in the islands. See volcanoes, waterfalls & more on our helicopter tours, exclusive landings and custom charters departing from Kona, Hilo and Turtle Bay Resort.