It is with great, great sadness that we as sustainability and environmental enthusiast we say goodbye to the great Rob Stewart. Even more so as Canadians, we have lost a man of legacy and education, who believed in the power of the environment so much that he had to put his life in such circumstances to just capture a frame of powerful words.
Rob Stewart was born in Toronto in 1979. By age 13 his passion amounted, when his underwater pictures began becoming published around the world. By 18, he took his passion to others by becoming a scuba instructor and wild life conservation educator. His schooling took him all around the world. From the simple upbringings of Ontario, he took to Jamaica and Kenya to embrace the diverse natural environment that surrounded him.
While on assignment in the Galapagos Islands, he discovered the horrific world of sharks. It wasn’t the horror story of their aggression and fables, but rather, the poaching and illegal killing of these beautiful creatures. This ultimately lead to his first major film, Sharkwater. The movie was produced by Alliance Atlantis, Warner-Bros, Disney and MK2-, and become a world renowned hit. The film depicts a movement for shark conservation and a call for a reform in government policy, to protect these creatures and to inspire change.
What an amazing word, inspire. We must discover what or who inspires in order to proactively make a change worth fighting for. While this blog is focused on sustainability, this specific post focuses on our personal journey to discovery.
I never knew Rob Stewart, nor had I ever seen any of his material, or so I thought. When I saw the story from CBC, I was very intrigued by the story about a filmmaker dying while out at sea. So I began to do some research about who Rob was and why he was out there. I soon discovered this piece ….
This is a quote I had read when I was doing research in grade 10, on a piece about the frontiers. The ocean has been one of the ongoing and continuously unveiling of new species, a frontier constantly being rediscovered time and time again. I had never remember the author of the quote, but rather the beauty and truth.
My passion for sustainability has always been water, whether it be fresh or salt, simply on the fact that ….
Water is life.
Thank you for this inspiring blog post. I really enjoy reading or hearing about peoples passion behind engaging for sustainability, and to see where their focus of interest lays. Whether they are driven by the love for animals or the passion to preserve nature (according to Ottman). Due to personal experience and the opportunity to swim with whale sharks and white sharks I totally agree with the quote of Stewart. It is kind of magical to see such beauty although you were taught so fear or even hate it animals. I will definitely take a look at Stewart’s documentary, thanks for sharing!