Since first being thrown overboard by my late father, Jacques-Yves Cousteau at the age of seven, I have been compelled to explore, to discover, to understand the secrets of the sea. An oft-quoted fact is that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about our own ocean. How can we protect what we don’t yet understand? Ironically, as we have explored more, learned more about ecological processes within the ocean and made great discoveries of its vast diversity of life in just the past 50 years; but in the same time period we have degraded, overfished and changed the basic chemistry of the ocean faster than any time in recorded history. We now know the ocean sustains all life on this planet; but we are threatening the very fabric of what holds our rich tapestry of biodiversity together.
Al Hornsby’s newest book, Face to Face: Up Close with Mother Nature, gives us the intimate look at beauty and diversity of amazing animals from all regions of the world. These stunning images open our eyes to nature’s beauty and cultivates a gift of appreciation and gratitude in us all to do all that we can to protect what we love, our liquid blue planet.
These breath-taking pictures will give you an insatiable desire to discover, to experience, to understand. They will transport you on an adventure of discovery. A sense of wonder will become your part of the experience as you realise that ‘everything is connected’ on land and in the ocean world and that our everyday actions can have positive effects on protecting these special places. I know that when people see and feel these beautiful images and read Al’s personal stories of adventure, they will understand in a profound way the need to take care of our water planet.
Creative, optimistic, inspirational people are the force of a better future. Al is that type of person and through his beautiful images, he gives us that sense of personal connection to do all that you can to be a part of a sustainable future. I always say, protect the ocean and you protect yourself. Dive in and enjoy the beauty of the sea and land, nature’s work of art.
Jean-Michel Cousteau, President Ocean Futures Society
