Archived Articles - Seahorses and Other Ephemeral Creatures of the Sea

Sunday, April 29, 2007


Seahorses and Other Ephemeral Creatures of the Sea

Since I can remember I've loved seahorses, starfish, coral and anything living under the sea. The first thing I ever wanted to be was a marine biologist, and I imagined seafaring expeditions to the great underwater wonderlands of the world.

It wasn't until I realized how bad I was at math and science that it started looking a little unlikely, so I got a degree in journalism, since writing was my other love.

I used to go to the fish aquarium at least once a week to look at the seahorses, coral and other tropical fish, I could not believe their beauty and grace. Seahorses are such magical creatures.

Since my fascination with these creatures is still there and just as strong as ever, and since I am not a marine biologist or a journalist but a t-shirt designer, I asked my friend Joel to draw me a seahorse to use for my shirts. He drew the most exquisite seahorse I have ever seen, and since the shirts were made I have met other equally enchanted seahorse lovers.

Over the weekend I was in San Francisco selling shirts and met an artist who makes seahorse necklaces that are incredibly beautiful. I had no idea how I might afford one but wanted one really bad. So my friend Joel said to offer a trade so I did, I paid half for the necklace and traded the other half in seahorse shirts. I guess I'm rambling but I loved the concept: a seahorse for a seahorse. Or something like that.

I found out that there are seahorse farms now, one is on the Big Island of Hawaii. These farms exist so that less seahorses will be harvested from the open sea. I want to go there and see them. The Hawaiian name for seahorse is ka' mo' olio. I want to learn the word for seahorse in every language.

How lucky we are to live in a world that seahorses live in too. Bless them and all of the other wonderful creatures of the earth and sea. Life is so full of wonder.