Dara Israel | Ocean Storyteller | Potrero, Costa Rica
Dara Israel has experienced first-hand the positive influence of the ocean on our mental and physical health. After becoming disheartened in the commercial film industry, Dara reflected on her childhood where she had spent time on and near the ocean. She decided to learn to dive and her life transformed. After taking a break from filmmaking and a few years of ocean exploration around the world, Dara joined a BlueVentures expedition doing coral reef surveying in Madagascar. Whilst there she decided to create a short film about some of the projects she was working on, and it dawned on her that her skills were transferable, and much needed in the fight against climate change.
Currently based in Costa Rica, Dara is working with an organization called Embajadores del Mar, based in Puerto Viejo. The province Limon (where Puerto Viejo is) is the poorest area of the country - drug use, teenage pregnancy, and suicide rates are very high because there aren't many opportunities for youth here. Embajadores del Mar works with local kids and teens to teach them to dive, do coral conservation work, marine archeology, lifeguarding and water safety. Increasing opportunities for locals and contributing greatly to protecting the local marine ecosystem. They will use Dara’s storytelling skills predominately to raise money to continue their programs.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
Our connection to self and our relationship to nature. Getting rid of single use plastic, lowered carbon emissions, following sustainble fishing practices, all of these things are essential but none of it will ultimately mean that much if we don't heal our relationship within. Our outer world is a reflection of our inner world, so as long as we are stuck in the rat race, living lives we think we have to live as opposed to the ones we want to live, our outer world will reflect our inner instability. If we can heal our relationship with ourselves, and learn to get back in the flow of nature, we can more easily learn to work with the Earth rather than fight against it.
Who/what currently inspires you?
I greatly admire the nature photographer and storyteller Cristina Mittermeier for her magnificent body of work. I am inspired by the kids I teach who are endlessly passionate, ready to learn, and full of new ideas and hope for the future. I'm inspired by the people that I work with in my counseling sessions, for being brave enough to look within and face whatever they find. I'm inspired by the gentle grace and commanding presence of mantas, the mystery of eels, the novelty of octopuses, and the peacefulness of sharks.
What do you value most in life?
The thing I value the most in life is relationships. We all have something to learn from each other, and something we can share with each other. It doesn't matter if we have the perfect job, the perfect house, tons of money in the bank or fancy degrees on the wall. Without authentic and loving relationships, it all just falls flat. The relationships we build with people, regardless of whether they are long term or short term, this is what defines a life. In this I also am including our relationship with ourselves. Our relationship with ourselves is the longest and deepest relationship we will ever have, and cultivating a healthy and loving relationship with ourselves is the key to not only living happier lives, but to creating a healthier society and therefore a healthier planet.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
Every summer we spent time in the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Playing in the water with my little sister and running around in the sand with my dog are some of the happiest memories of my life. I always felt safest when I was near or in the ocean.
There was one moment from these summers though that I look back on as a moment of clarity as to who I am and what the future would bring. One summer my sister and I got caught in a strong rip current. As luck may have it, our dog began tearing down the beach the opposite direction after some seagulls, and my parents were so distracted trying to catch her that they didn't realize we weren't being watched. Even though I knew we were in trouble and I had no idea what to do, a great sense of calm washed over me - strong enough that I can still recall the feeling vividly. In all other scenarios I was not a child that necessarily responded well to being out of control, but I learned that day that for some reason, in the ocean I was at peace with my lack of control.
As I grew into adulthood, I struggled with depression and anxiety. I eventually reached a point of complete hopelessness and was searching for any reason to keep trying. I remembered those summers on the beach, and the way I felt in the ocean. I decided to learn to dive and my life completely changed. Over time I was able to release my struggles with depression and anxiety and completely re-write my life. I credit those days in the Outer Banks with shaping a lot of who I am today.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
I hope my legacy will show people the power of storytelling, both externally and internally. I hope to show people that change is always possible, and that we as individuals and as a collective are capable of anything we believe ourselves to be capable of.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an ocean Storyteller?
The only limits that exist are the ones you set for yourself. If your heart is pulling you in a direction, follow it, even if you can't rationalize it. The ocean and the planet need storytellers now more than ever, and if you feel called to this work, don't let anything stand in your way.
WEBSITE: onebreathdeep.com
INSTAGRAM: @daradives / @aqua_alchemy / @chromatophorefilms
