‘Subaquatic Messenger’ connects people to sea

“With scuba diving, the sound of breathing and air bubbles ends up creating a distance between the diver and ocean animals,” she said. “With free diving, all you have under the water is your own lungs, the same as marine mammals like whales and dolphins, so you’re able to become part of their world. What’s important is to have a sense of respect and not barge carelessly into their territory. Also, the transmission of vibrations is four times as fast underwater as on land, so if I feel even slightly afraid or nervous, the animals sense that right away. I leave my ego on land, and in the water I concentrate on the feeling of ‘just being there.’”

Futaki, who roams the seas in various parts of the world, is also participating as “ocean ambassador” in the Ministry of the Environment’s Mori Sato Kawa Umi Project (Forest Village River Sea Pro-ject). How does she view the cascade of problems the world is currently facing, including climate change and plastic pollution in the ocean?

“When you visit the ocean in any country, all the local people say, ‘The sea was more beautiful 10 years ago,’” she said. “As in the case of garbage from East Asian countries drifting ashore in Japan, all the various environmental problems are connected by the sea. In particular, the more we learn about the ocean garbage issue, the more intricate and overwhelming it becomes. Things that are essential for sustaining people’s current way of life are continually streaming out into the sea. At the same time, plastic trash under the water can sometimes look quite beautiful. To creatures that prey on jellyfish, translucent objects that catch the light must look just like food.”

Futaki places importance on addressing the senses and emotions of each individual. What is her vision for leaving the beautiful oceans for the next generation?

“All the creatures in the natural world live their lives while adapting to the environments they’re given at various times. They all have their own life cycles, and I always feel they transcend the limits of human understanding,” she said. “We often hear the slogan ‘Protect the ocean and living things,’ but I think the ocean is a much bigger presence than human beings are. I’m sure these words are meant to contribute to a better future, but since nature is bigger than we are, I’d always felt uncomfortable with the idea of doing something for nature solely from a human-centric perspective or position. Humans don’t own the Earth. We’re one type of being living with nature. If it’s true that the ocean formed on the Earth 4.3 billion years ago, our basis for judgement — the span of our existence — is very short, isn’t it? By definition, our time scale is something completely different from the ocean’s.

“What’s more, there must be a huge number of unresolved issues among the countless problems brought about by humans, some of which we’re trying to address, such as production and consumption structures — companies that keep accelerating consumption, waste disposal and so on. It may be difficult to find a breakthrough, but I think we should focus on our own problems first, and leave other creatures’ ways of life to them.

“It’s said that the human body is about 60% water. Water is always inside of us, and I think it will be a good thing if people are able to feel that human beings are part of nature.”