Read Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover's Soul Online
Authors: Jack Canfield
Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover's Soul (2 page)
To Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Peter Vegso and the entire family at Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises and Health Communications (HCI). These two fine organizations are to be truly commended for giving such a beautiful gift to the world as the series of
Chicken Soup for
the Soul
books.
Big thanks to Angela Needham for spearheading this project from the very beginning. Even after six years, Angela always had the faith to see this project completed.
To Steve Creech, Wyland’s cowriter and publicist, who shaped and formed the book with the support of the dedicated staff at Wyland World Headquarters. Steve’s adventures collecting stories took him as far away as Valdez, Alaska.
To the entire Wyland family: Wyland’s parents, Darlene and Robert, and his brothers, Steve, Bill and Tom.
To Darcy Pinon, Julie Edwards and Liz Zuercher—each gave extensive amounts of their personal time to assist with editing, compiling and rereading stories.
Thanks to Virginia Lenac for her tireless support and efforts. Virginia always went the extra mile, always with a smile, to keep this book organized and on track.
To the entire Wyland design team, including Jonathan Dupree, Gregg Hamby, Nicole Hill, Karla Kipp, Kathy Gordon and Gino Beltran. They deserve a special nod of appreciation for ensuring that the look and feel of this book met the high standards of Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises and HCI.
To Julie Guerrini, who read and read and read, providing valuable insight about many of the stories in this book while never complaining, even when yet another batch of stories was given to her “just to check out.”
Thanks to all the people who evaluated, commented upon and helped us improve our story selection. The panel of readers included: Sheri Arnett, Suzanne Beukema, Marie Clark, Grace Compton, Janet Creech, Robin Davis, Terrie Druehl, Sherry Eaton, Tammy Eaton, Jeanice Glenn, Shannon Glenn, Dana and Jerry Gonzales, Gretchen Hausman, Debby Helm, Alice Jensen, Diane Johnson, Joan Kretchman, Kirstyn Molina, Shirley Morrison, David Norcross, Barbara O’Neill, Jennifer Paul, Sue Paul, Sue Pinkham, Eartha M. Reed, Pam Richmond, Jennifer
Scardino, Stan Stern, Lisa Trampe and Cathy Wood.
To the drive of Jack Canfield and Patty Aubery to push
this book through to its completion.
And, of course, thank you to the folks at HCI, including Lisa Drucker, Susan Heim and the entire team of editors, publicist Kim Weiss, and the terrific sales teams headed by
Terry Burke and Tom Sand.
We would also like to acknowledge and express our appreciation to the authors of the more than 3,000 stories that we received to make this book possible.
And, last but not least, we would like to thank
you
for purchasing
Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover’s Soul.
It has been a labor of love, more than six years in the making as we’ve searched the planet to find stories that touch the heart and ignite the ever-growing passion for preservation of our oceans and the wonderful life within. Best fishes!
The Wyland Foundation would like to acknowledge the following organizations for their contributions to ocean conservation. We hope you’ll support their fine work.
American Oceans Campaign
American Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals
Animal Planet
Animal Protection Institute
Animal Welfare Institute
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
California Marine Mammal Center
Caribbean Conservation Corporation
Center for Action Endangered Species
Center for Coastal Studies
Center for Environmental Education
Center for Marine Conservation
Center for Whale Studies
Citizens for a Better Environment
Clean Islands International
Clean Water Action
Coastal Alliance
Coastal American Foundation
Coastal Conservation Association
Coastal Ecology Learning Program
Coastal Society
Conservation International Foundation
Coral
Cousteau Society
Cultural Survival
Defenders of Wildlife
Discovery Channel
Dolphin Research Center
Earth Day Resources
Earth Trust
EarthCare Network
Earthsave International
Environmental Defense Fund
Florida Oceanographic Society
Friends of Bermuda Aquarium, Ltd.
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Sea
Friends of the Sea Lion
Friends of the Sea Otter
Fund for Animals
Great Whales Foundation
Greenpeace Foundation
Greenpeace U.S.A.
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Hubbs Sea World Research Institute
Human Dolphin Foundation
The Humane Society
Institute for Earth Education
International Fund for Animal Welfare
International Rivers Network
Island Resources Foundation
Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research,
Education and Conservation
The JASON Project
Kids for a Clean Environment
Kids for Saving Earth
Marine Environmental Research Institute
Marine Life Preservation Society
Marine Mammal Center
Marine Mammal Fund
Marine Mammal News
Marine Mammal Stranding Center
Maui Whalewatchers
Mote Marine Laboratory
Mystic Aquarium
National Audubon Society
National Geographic Society
National Marine Institute
National Marine Life Center
National Marine Sanctuary
National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Nature Conservancy
The Ocean Conservancy
Ocean Institute
Ocean Research & Educational Society
Ocean Society
Ocean Watch Foundation
Oceanic Society
Oceanworks
Orcalab
Pacific Marine Research
Reef Ball Foundation
Reef Environmental Education Foundation
Reef Relief
Restore America’s Estuaries
Save Our Seas
Save the Manatee Club
Save the Whales
School Power
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
The Sea Turtle Center
Seacoast Science Center
Sierra Club
Society for Marine Mammalogy
Surfrider Foundation
United Nations Environment Programme
W. Quoddy Marine Research Center
Waikoloa Marine Life Fund
Wetlands Institute
Whale Adoption Project
Whale Center
Whale Conservation Institute
Whale Museum
Whale Protection Fund
Whale Research and Conservation Fund
WildAid
Wilderness Society
Windows on Our Waters
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
World Wildlife Fund
Worldwatch Institute
Wyland Foundation
All of us, at one time or another, find ourselves drawn to the sea. For some, it’s a place for reflection or romance. For others, it’s the thrill of watching surf crash against a sandy white beach or studying the kaleidoscope of life among a tropical coral reef. This ability of the ocean to change our lives, to inspire and fascinate us, is what led us to create
Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover’s Soul,
a collection of stories from around the world that celebrate the magic of our ocean planet.
I first embraced the ocean on a family vacation to Southern California many years ago. I was only fourteen years old and experiencing the cool waters of the Pacific for the first time. Amazingly, as I looked out across the endless expanse, lost in its sheer size, two fifty-foot gray whales broke the surface and spouted right before my eyes.
After that encounter I dedicated myself to the preservation of these gentle giants and the oceans they needed for survival. I truly believe that when you see a whale you become a better human being. Over the years, I have talked with many people who have told me of encounters with marine mammals, and they all have experienced similar transformations.
I had the honor of meeting Mark Victor Hansen at one of my gallery shows in Kona on the big island of Hawaii. We connected immediately as I felt Mark’s commitment with Jack Canfield not only to create a fantastic book filled with wonderful stories of the ocean, but also their commitment to the conservation of this precious resource. As we continued to discuss the possibility of creating this unique book, it became clear to us that the oceans have been the source of many inspirational stories over the years.
Now, after diving with these two ocean lovers, we are ready to share these uplifting, engaging and, above all, true stories from people such as renowned wildlife expert and television personality Jack Hanna, ocean researcher Dr. Sylvia Earle, writer Clive Cussler and many others. This beautiful book and the series of marine life paintings it contains reflect the rare beauty of the sea for the ocean lover’s soul.
A portion of all proceeds from
Chicken Soup for the Ocean
Lover’s Soul
will go the Wyland Foundation, which has partnered with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, to create a free, nationwide marine life art and science educational program for every school in the nation. This program is designed to teach children everywhere about the importance of our marine resources. Your purchase of this book will help make this program a great success.
Best fishes and aloha,
Wyland
We would love to hear your reactions to the stories in this book. Please let us know what your favorite stories were and how they affected you.
We also invite you to send us stories you would like to see published in future editions of
Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Please send submissions to:
Chicken Soup for the Soul
P.O. Box 30880
Santa Barbara, CA 93130
fax: 805-563-2945
You can also visit or access e-mail at the
Chicken Soup for
the Soul
site:
We hope you enjoy reading this book as much as we enjoyed compiling, editing and writing it.
A
ll good things are wild and free.
Henry David Thoreau
U
ntil one has loved an animal, a part of one’s
soul remains unawakened.
