Bio
Sustainable Travel Brands I Love Good Reads
Inspiring conservation through environmental activism, public education, sustainable travel, and ocean play. 

The greenest blue

Life by the sea, for the sea.

DSC_1409.jpg
“NOW, MORE THAN ANY OTHER POINT IN HISTORY, we have the distinct opportunity to become both the explorers and the ambassadors of this wondrous, liquid frontier...”
— Andrea Marshall, Founder of Marine Megafauna Foundation

Our oceans need help. But I'm not hear to tell you about the doom and gloom. I'm on a mission to inspire as many people as possible to love the big blue thing that's responsible for the very air that we breathe. How? Through the implementation of practical, simple, day-to-day changes we can make in our lives. This space is for sharing stories and conversations about the environmental issues we're concerned about, the adventures we're living, and the thoughts we're pondering. 

A Day Trip to Lady Elliot Island - Great Barrier Reef, August 15, 2018

Save the Southern Resident Killer Whales!

Featured
The Issues We Need to Face - Dealing with the Demise of an Entire Population of Killer Whales
Lauren Fritz
The Issues We Need to Face - Dealing with the Demise of an Entire Population of Killer Whales
Lauren Fritz

For a minute, close your eyes and envision yourself on the deck of a 55-foot whale watch vessel in the San Juan Islands. We're looking at a pod of Transient killer whales about 300 yards off our bow, surfacing regularly as they move across the channel in search of their next meal. The water is glassy and the most beautiful green color, barely disturbed by the graceful movement of these animals as their dorsal fins slice across the surface like menacing black knives. The sun is gleaming overhead, the breeze is cold and refreshing, and we're surrounded by the beauty of the San Juan archipelago. We're talking about whales.

Lauren Fritz

What's Happening on the Blog:

Featured
From the Sunny Coast to Brisbane to the Gold Coast - Adventures in Eastern Oz
From the Sunny Coast to Brisbane to the Gold Coast - Adventures in Eastern Oz

I had some time off! And it was amazing! Whale watching is a beautiful way to spend your days, don’t get me wrong. In the midst of a busy season, though, you can bet I’ll snatch an opportunity to take a few days off and explore amazing Aussie. After taking so many guests on our trips who simply gushed about the Sunshine Coast and Byron Bay, I knew I wanted to go see them for myself.

The Final Week: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life & a Bluer Sea
The Final Week: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life & a Bluer Sea

Do something today that scares you.

I'm sure you've heard a similar quote before. Eleanor Roosevelt said it: "Do one thing every day that scares you."

So what's the connection between this challenge and environmental activism? Look, going green can be scary. It means changing habits that you've grown up with. It means politely talking to your parents and grandparents about a new way of life you've adopted that doesn't necessarily mesh with their viewpoints. It means going against the grain more often than not. It means being adaptive, open-minded, and vulnerable to change. That's scary. And it's hard. I recognize and respect that, because I muddle through these changes every single day. I stumble a lot. I fall. I get up. 

Week 7: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life & a Bluer Sea - Using Social Media for Positive Change
Week 7: 8 Weeks to a Greener Life & a Bluer Sea - Using Social Media for Positive Change

A Positive Opportunity for Education & Activism with Instagram

How many "pretty" pictures of food or drinks or cute cafes pop up on your social media feeds throughout the day? It might just be my love of experimental cooking, foodie-based travel, colorful ingredients, and beautifully-designed dining spaces, but my feed is brimming with snaps of smoothie bowls and tofu dishes and perfectly crafted coffees with hearts and bears in the latte art. I love seeking inspiration from photos of food, and I imagine there's a part of my brain that relishes looking at them as well. Like some sort of dopamine hit. 

Although most of the food-based accounts I follow depict eco-friendly practices, I'm finding that there's still a lot of accounts that are including plastic straws and other single-use plastics in their glamorous marketing shots. Now, I'm not trying to call anyone out and shame them. Nor am I encouraging you to bash anyone or any operation on social media. That's bad form. I'm only saying that I found a perfect opportunity to open up a discussion on single-use plastics when I came across a photo from a hip little pop-up business in Portland specializing in gourmet dessert milkshakes...

Inspiration on Insta 

Whales always. 🐋🐋🐋 • #whalesarethebest #byronbay #vegancafe #elixiba #thegreenestblue
Beautiful day for a Beach Clean 😎 We celebrated International Coastal Cleanup Day by hosting an event here in Hervey Bay. Always amazed (and disappointed) by the amount of nasty nasty we haul up. 😟 Keep cleaning, and remember to #justpickitup. • #beachcleanup #internationalcoastalcleanupday #herveybay #scarnessbeach #pacificwhalefoundationaustralia #naturalist #marineconservation #thelaststraw #plasticfree #reducereuserefuse @pacificwhaleoz
This is my kind of coastal walk! Many of our Eastern Australian humpback friends are cruising by Cape Byron right now on their way south to Antarctica, and land visitors are dazzled by their acrobatic displays. A 34 ton animal clearing the surface with its massive tail fluke and flippers twirling through the air? Hard to miss! • #coastalwalk #capebyron #whalewatching #byronbay #eastclastaustralia #whaleseason #humpbackwhale #byronbaylighthouse #thegreenestblue #whalewatchingalldayeveryday
This is my amazing dad at the Free the Snake Flotilla, a protest of the four lower Snake River dams. 600+ participants flocked to the river near Lewiston, Idaho this weekend to join in the protest on canoe, kayak, paddleboard, sailboat, and motorboat. • The inspiration for many to participate is the plight of the Southern Resident Killer Whales, starving for salmon over on the coast of Washington and B.C. They are so dependent on this specific ecosystem (on this and other rivers). With dams in the river, many salmon are unable to reach their spawning habitats. This has resulted in the critical decline in salmon numbers. • The scary thing? On this same day, a pro-dam event was held just up the river. For these people, a future without dams is “inconceivable.” • You know what’s inconceivable to me? A future without resident orcas. A future without free-flowing rivers, so wild and the epitome of the Pacific Northwest. We have so many options now to replace the energy created by the dams with a mix of other clean energy sources. We have the technology to implement these strategies. We just need the legislation. • Thanks for fighting the fight, Dad. Wish I could be there in Idaho to paddle with you, and for the whales! And thanks for wearing my humpback stuffy on your hat - because all of these marine and river ecosystems are intertwined! • #freethesnake #savethesalmon #savetheorcas #southernresidentkillerwhales #salmon #idaho #snakeriver #damnation #marineconservation #thegreenestblue #oceanconservation @sanjuansafaris
So what's the challenge for the last week of my 8-Week Eco-Challenge Series? It's easy. Well, not really. But it's a simple concept. Ready for it? - Do something today that scares you. - Intrigued how this will help the environment? Read the full story in the bio link. - - - #thegreenestblue #oceanconservation #ouroceanourfuture #saveourseas #speakforthesea #livegreen #marineconservation #advocacy #protectouroceans #ecochallenge #sustainability #greenlifestyle
Another win for the ocean, thank you Enzo’s! I’ll be able to order those cocktails now ;) Repost: @Enzosonthebeach • “From now on Enzo’s on the Beach won’t be serving any straws with our drinks. However, if you require a straw, let our staff know and we will provide you with a paper straw.” • #oceanconservation #plasticstraw #plasticfree #skipthestraw #stopsucking #savetheturtles #herveybay #frasercoast
There is no time like the present. What a time to be alive. • So what are we doing to show our appreciation? Sharing a whole lot of ocean love is one way I try to give back. We can all do something. • Smile at at your grocer. Grab coffee for your coworker. Help the cute foreign couple who looks lost. • I mean, a kind stranger decided to invite me for a sail this week and it was such an absolute treat. You never know what one gesture will mean to someone. That’s the ripple effect:) • #sailing #sunset #therippleeffect #oceanappreciation #herveybay #queensland #fraserisland #thegreenestblue #marineconservation #liveproactively #liveyourtruth #speakforthesea #travelwell #challengeyourself

What's life as a seasonal guide like? Here's a quick summary of 2017: 

This has been a wild year - I've spent 3 tourist seasons on 3 different islands, guiding on snorkel, whale watch, and dolphin swim tours. Maui, I love you. San Juan Island, you feel like home. Kaikoura - you've reinvigorated me. I've never been in so much saltwater, and it feels amazing!

Lauren Fritz is a naturalist, writer, and photographer that tumbled headfirst into a passionate love affair with travel and island living after realizing just how intoxicating this salty and snowy world can be. She's worked as a whale watch, snorkel, and dolphin swim guide in Maui, the San Juan Islands, and Kaikoura, New Zealand. On island, her time is spent teaching visitors about ocean conservation and marine life, but she also maintains a childlike sense of curiosity and wonder and enjoys living life as a permanent student - continuously learning about the ocean, the mountains, and the different cultures that she encounters in her explorations. This blog is an elaboration of her thoughts, musings, and meaningful experiences, with a focus on conservation and mindful living.