Spreading Ocean Love

Yesterday was another WOW day spreading heaps of ocean love of the awesome work of the Marine Conservation Society, British Divers Marine Life Rescue and The Shark Trust at the Swanage Rotary's Amazing Christmas Market and newly designed gifts that I'd been designing and creating here at the studio until 2.30 am on Thursday and Friday night. Was it worth it - ABSOLUTELY! It was beyond inspiring to have so many visitors come up to me asking if I was "Maria Munn" which scared me a bit to be honest, but they all said that they loved my content and images as non-divers and they had learnt a lot from it.

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I lost my voice talking so much to passers by about mermaid purses and explained to a chap how to rescue a turtle.  I was reunited with my underwater photography course guests from London as well as local ones, encouraged Sarah amongst many others to come snorkelling, bumped into colleagues from Swanage Hospital where I used to work, spoke to so many children about our oceans, I sold out of my "Who Lives in the Swanage Sea?" children's book (again!) it was just a complete dream of a day.  And the recycled ghost fishing net bracelets made by the incredible Behaviour Change Cornwall still proved popular.

Plus I received my first ever Christmas Present here in Swanage (it's only taken 12 years, thanks so much to the lovely Debbie) and was super inspired by Nicole who is from the USA spreading more ocean and bird love conservation issues opposite me.  Watch this space!  So excited for future plans and a huge, huge thank you to everyone who came by to see me.