Summary

The author shares their personal connection to water bodies and experiences with the sea in Australia, while also addressing the environmental issues affecting oceans today.

Abstract

The author, who has always felt a strong attraction to water, recounts their experiences with water bodies in India and their close call with drowning. They then discuss their relationship with the sea in Australia, where they live and often visit the beach for relaxation. The author shares their love for watching the ocean's various moods throughout the day and recalls a trip to India where they enjoyed the sunset at Kanya Kumari. The author also mentions the Indian mythological story of Samundar Manthan, where the ocean was churned, and various objects emerged. Lastly, the author reflects on the current state of the ocean, highlighting the pollution caused by plastic waste, oil spills, and gas leaks, and the destructive consequences of human interference.

Opinions

The author has a deep personal connection to water bodies, feeling a strong attraction and affinity towards them.
The author values spending time at the beach and observing the sea's different moods throughout the day.
The author appreciates the beauty and tranquility of the ocean but acknowledges its destructive power during events like tsunamis, floods, cyclones, and hurricanes.
The author shares their thoughts on the Samundar Manthan story, suggesting that if we churned the ocean today, we would find pollution and waste instead of mythical objects.
The author expresses concern about the environmental issues affecting the ocean, including pollution from plastic waste, oil spills, and gas leaks.
The author believes that human interference and greed have caused these environmental problems and endangered marine life.
The author enjoys reading other writers' experiences with nature, particularly those shared in the Reciprocal publication.

The Call of The Sea

in response to the Reciprocal September nature Prompt: The Sea

Water has an attraction, it is a scientifically proven, and a personally experienced phenomenon, for me, as water calls me, it remembers me, it knows me, from a time long ago, when I was a part of it, before I got my feet, and walked out of its embrace!

That is how I have always felt. Rivers, lakes, ponds, waterfalls, all the water bodies, like the streams of consciousness, have always had this attraction for me for ever. I hadn’t learnt to swim while in India; but I loved being close to the water. And one day, the attraction of the water, almost cost me my life, when crossing a makeshift bridge on the point where river Bias, and its tributary, a seasonal rivulet, the Suketi, meet, I was so overwhelmed looking down, that I fell in the water; but was saved by someone, and have lived to tell the story today!

Well, coming to this sea prompt by Dr. Preeti Singh, this background was to explain that in my life, water has always been not only very much an essential part of my daily life, after all, we all carry it in us, as, approximately, 65–70% of our body is made of water, but has been there, in the background, the part and parcel of my life!

And in a country like Australia, which though, is the driest continent, is surrounded by oceans, all its big cities are on the coast, so, going to the sea, swimming, surfing, or in my case, just splashing around, is a lifestyle, a part of being here. You go to the sea, you go to the ocean, for a weekend, for a day, for a swim, or a walk on the beach.

And going to the beach is one of my most favourite outings. It is 40 minutes away from where we live, so a very special outing!

Otherwise, for holidays, we usually go to the south or the central coast, that offer spectacular sea resorts, holiday places, teeming with holiday makers on these golden and silver beaches.

Caught while walking on the beach Author’s private Album

Splashing in the water Author’s Private Album

Sunrise at the Beach Author’s Private Album

The ocean, a never-ending body of water, in all its glory, in the shades of blue, green and turquoise, shows different moods at different times of the day. I have been to a few beaches, and the most beautiful times are, the sunrise, if we are lucky to catch the sun, coming out of the water, and the sunset, when the sun is going in the sea, disappearing like a dot of golden, orange fire, ready to be extinguished just for the night!

In one of my trips to India, I was lucky to enjoy the sunset at Kanya Kumari, in south India, but the sunrise was ruined by the unexpected clouds. I have to find those photos, one day! At least those that weren’t ruined!

There is a story in Indian mythology, about Samundar Manthan, when the demi-gods and demons together churned the ocean, and like objects out of a Pandora box, which couldn’t be put back inside, many objects, minerals, precious gems, and potions, both lethal like poison, and the life-giving Amrit, came out. The two fought for what they each wanted, but, no one wanted the poison, so Lord Shiva, the God of destruction, gulped it down, to save everyone, and his throat was all blue from its potency. Though, the silly gods and demons, still fought, but that’s another story, for another day.

High Tide Central Coast Image Credit Author

And today, while the ocean is vast, and fathomless, we have no idea what is inside, so we think, if we churned it, what would come out!

I think, we all know,

Plastic, plastic straws, bags, garbage, remnants of oil spills, and gas, as today, in the Baltic Ocean, there is news of the leaking gas pipes, which are making its water boil from the gas, yes, symbols of our greed, our interference with nature, endangering marine life, our co habitues of this planet that we call home.

When we hear about or experience, the wrath of nature in case of Sunami, floods, cyclones, hurricanes, we know that the ocean can be angry, and destructive, not always, but mostly due to human created reasons, still the ocean is an accepting place, that takes everything in, even our stress, and unhappiness, and just sitting and watching the waves crash on the side rocks, is the most mesmerising experience for anyone, especially on a moonlit night the way to the heaven, if there is any, anywhere, I believe it is here, right there!

Full Moon at Coogee. Photo Credit Chandrima from Author’s Private Album

My article is in response to Dr Preeti’s prompt about the Sea.

Come And Enjoy The Seaside With Me | by Dr. Preeti Singh | Reciprocal | Sep, 2022 | Medium

Thanks Dr. Preeti Singh for these great nature prompts. There were quite a few articles on this prompt, and I’m actually quite late in submitting mine. I enjoyed them all, but the two articles, that I’d like to mention here, are:

Elder Taoist’s article on his experiences of Alaska wilderness;

The experiences he had there and the peace he achieved towards the end, are phenomenal. The photos he has taken and used in this article are just amazing!

Surviving Alone in the Alaska Wilderness | by Elder Taoist | Reciprocal | Sep, 2022 | Medium

And through his article I found this magnificent article by Mia Verita’s article on the beauty, and the healing power of a River, where she feels very close to nature and feels her father’s presence!

The River. A journey of the heart | by Mia Verita | Reciprocal | Sep, 2022 | Medium

Thanks Sahil Patel for this great publication, Reciprocal, to find a great place to bring our articles, and get so much support!