L AGUNA BLUE (CONTINUED)
“I BELIEVE IT IS OUR MORAL, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE OCEAN AND THE SACRED LIFE LIVING WITHIN.” Photo: Mark Girardeau
RICH GERMAN + creator of blue laguna
In partnership with Oceana, Surfrider and other top ocean-protection organizations, Project O is about to launch the Blue City program. This collaborative effort will support cities in adopting best practice standards with the goal of being certified as responsible stewards of our ocean and waterways. This program will start with California coastal cities and then expand nationwide and internationally. Rich is also currently leading the charge in Laguna Beach to ban
Rich German has been paddle boarding off the coast of Laguna
mylar and latex balloons from being released into the air. These bal-
Beach every day for over a decade. And each day he captures stun-
loons are hazardous both to the environment and to the marine life
ning photos and videos of the incredible marine life he is blessed
that confuses them with food.
to witness. Rich has had countless encounters with the bottlenose
To Rich, the ocean is his church... his sanctuary. Paddleboarding is
dolphins that call our coastline home. Plus he has paddled alongside
not only exercise but also his meditation and way to commune with
migrating gray whales, 100-foot long blue whales, humpback whales
nature. He loves to capture beautiful moments and share these with
and even pods of Orcas.
people who might never have the opportunity to see what he sees.
He is the creator of the photo book, Blue Laguna, which features
Like Jacques Cousteau famously said “we protect what we love”
many of his best images. His love for the ocean and marine life com-
and Rich’s hope is people will fall in love with the ocean and life in it
pelled him to found Project O, a non-profit committed to protecting
so much that we will begin to do whatever we can to protect it, just
the ocean.
like we would our own children. RichGerman.com
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Laguna Niguel Lifestyle | April 2020