100 Blue Hours

Ocean Adventures For The Entire Family

When my friend called and told me an endangered right whale was close to the beach, visible from shore, I was at the doctor with my newly 4-year-old and then 8-month-old for their regular wellness appointments. My ocean-loving son has seen wild seahorses, manatees, manta rays, sharks, and dolphins. But, all he has wanted for the last year-and-a-half was to see a whale. I had to make it happen.

Luckily, I always bring snacks in the car, a change of clothes and a baby carrier. As soon as the appointment was over, we drove to the beach, walked two miles in the sand and found the whale. Finn ran down the beach in excitement. She was resting in the surf with her playful calf, who was swimming around her. We watched her for a few hours before she finally turned toward deeper waters. It takes something special to keep my son’s attention that long. He was in awe watching the mama whale with her calf. By being prepared, my family and I can enjoy small adventures as they pop up, like the fleeting opportunity to see a rare whale from shore.

Recently, I’ve been motivated to encourage other families to get out and explore the water with their kids. My friend, Brittini Arlene, another marine biologist and mom based in Hawaii, had started logging her hours in the water with her son. She even made a sea turtle tracker to record their hours. Combining our strengths, Brittini and I decided to launch 100 Blue Hours.

The goal is to spend 100 hours in or around the water in a year, which amounts to about 2 hours per week, whether that’s jumping in puddles, watching the sunset over a lake, swimming in a pool, or surfing in the ocean. By fostering a connection to the water, we hope people might be inspired to help protect it and its creatures. And in doing so, we are also spending less time behind the blue light from screens.

So far this year, we’ve watched right whales from the shore, snorkeled with manatees, searched for shark teeth on the beach, and played by a lake. Not all adventures have to be big, some can just be a walk by the water. You never know what you’ll find, feel, or learn.

Follow our journey on @100bluehours

Written and photography by Bethany Augliere