Where To Begin?

So who am I? What is this all about.

I am your friendly neighbourhood landlocked mermaid. Aka a human who likes the seaside but is surrounded by fields. As beautiful as the Shropshire countryside is, it is no glittering ocean. So while I am far from the sea, I shall have to make do with the inflatible aquariam in my living room. You read that right.

One landlocked mermaid

So why the ocean? Why am I - a Shropshire lass - so obsessed with the sea? Well, there are a multitude of reasons, really. It all started with wildlife documentaries. Anytime the camera dipped below the water, I was filled with wonder. Then it grew into seeing any costal picture with its glittering seas - waters in blue, green or grey - made me wish I was there. I go full Liz Lemon - "I want to go to there..."

The ocean is so vast and so unexplored. It is teaming with life (and now unfortunately plastic), and there is so much variety. From the incomprehensively massive Blue Whale (Qi klaxon anyone?) to the small Peacock Mantis Shrimp which can pack a punch of over 50mph. The range is insane! There is still so much we don't understand.

This is why I want to learn how to dive. So maybe I can maybe help with the understanding.

But I guess my favourite reason I love the ocean - majesty and beauty aside - is because it is home to the magnificent and massively misunderstood badasses of the sea. Sharks.

Ho-yeah. I am a shark nerd.

So why sharks?

Well, for starters they are older than dinosaurs. As a kid who grew up in the 90s, anything dinosaur related was immediately cool. They aso pre-date flowers. Flowers. (Edit: I read this somewhere and now cannot find it anywhere. I will verify this.)

They are also the pinnacle of evolution. For the most part, sharks have remained unchanged for the last 300 million years. They evolved to be the perfect sea predator, each in their own individual ways. Each aspect of their design and life cycle has been tailored to being a predator. It's onyl due to over fishing that their numbers are dwindling.

That and the media driven fear that all sharks everywhere want to dine on human flesh all the live long day. They don't. Shark attacks are rare. Humans are not on the menu. They are not senselessly aggressive. They are just misunderstood badasses.

They are beautiful.

So that's me! I hope you stick around for my ramblings. 😛