Mission Blue, Netflix Original Documentary – Reasons to Hope

Air Date: Friday, August 15, 2014 – Streaming on Netflix only

Rating: ★★★★★

When presented with the opportunity to screen this amazing documentary, I didn’t hesitate. After watching Mission Blue, I’m flabbergasted and ashamed of what we, as humans, have done to our home, to our planet.

Mission Blue is a startling revelation of how we have systematically worn away at our own ecosystem. Overfishing and polluting our oceans have led to the decline of certain species of fish to a dangerous level. While the ocean produces nearly half the oxygen we need to survive, we are essentially killing our air supply.

Mission Blue’s slow pace helps you absorb the vast amount of shocking information revealed. At the center is Dr. Sylvia Earle, a world renowned, highly respected marine biologist who has made personal sacrifices for the greater good. Her story is touching and you immediately empathize with her struggle to be a successful working mother in a male dominated field. Despite three marriages and her firsthand visual of the decimation of the coral reefs off the coast of Australia, Earle maintains hope that the human race is still capable of changing its pattern of destruction and overconsumption of natural resources.

As I watched Mission Blue, I found myself, at times, lost at sea as Earle, at 78 years young, still goes diving into the beautiful blue ocean. In spite of Mission Blue’s central message, there is an underlying lesson that basically tells us to ‘stop and smell the roses’…in this case, the seaweed, the briny ocean air, and the aquatic life forms that dwell in the deep. The oceans and seas truly are the final frontier for human exploration. Only five percent of the oceans’ deep blue waters have been navigated and there is still so much more to discover in the murky depths we have yet to explore. Did you know Earle and her third husband founded Deep Ocean Engineering and, in 1985, the team designed and built the Deep Rover research submarine that descends 1,000 meters (3,300 feet)?

Our oceans are vital to our survival. The earth is 75% water and if we don’t stop destroying the oceans, it will be detrimental to our continued existence. There is still hope that we can reverse the effects of everything we’ve done to contaminate our vital oceans. Earle’s impassioned plea tugged at my heartstrings, making me want to live a cleaner, greener life. It’s not easy going green when we are so used to not doing anything to change our ways. We’ve become complacent in our mindset thinking we can continue dumping our trash into these magnificent bodies of water without major consequences. Earle opens our eyes in a non-intrusive way. She doesn’t shake her finger at you and tell you how bad you are. She simply states the facts and tells you we CAN make a change and we CAN heal our oceans.

If you don’t have Netflix, find someone who does and watch this documentary. It’s educational and great for the whole family to watch together. Directors Fisher Stevens and Robert Nixon take you not only on a personal journey through Earle’s life and sacrifices, but you go underwater to see a world many only imagine. The colorful creatures shown throughout Mission Blue will take your breath away. And you will fall in love with Earle by the end of the 90 minutes. I know I did.

For more on Mission Blue, go to http://mission-blue.org/

Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/missionblue/.

Like on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/missionblue.

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.