Hey there racers! First off – let me apologize for keeping you hanging so long in between blogs posts. It’s been pretty busy on my end. As you know the U.S. swim team was making waves in the pool over in Australia, but now I’m enjoying some much-needed rest and relaxation.

Recently I had a chance to head over to Hawaii and meet up with former Olympic swimmer Janet Evans for an Oroweat appearance. The coasts are so beautiful on Oahu, and since getting more involved with Oceana, I’ve felt a lot more attuned to our beaches.

And being more in touch with the ocean, I really noticed how tourism has distorted the environment. Take Waikiki beach for example. I noticed some coral bleaching, and I saw from my room that a lot of coral reefs are cleared so boats can pass. Corals grow so slowly that it’ll take decades to repair that kind of damage.

It seems our environment takes a back seat to the tourism industry. Not in Costa Rica, though, a country I’ve spent some time in. It’s great how they mix environmental awareness and protection with tourism development. In fact, Costa Rica has some of the most eco-friendly tourist destinations on the map. They’re extremely cautious in protecting their largest natural resource – the ocean, or course!

I hope here in the states we can figure out how to create a balance between how much we take from the oceans and how much we give back – sooner than later is best.

AP