The School of Continued Oceanic Education is experiencing an exponential growth in its enrollment. The attractive nature of the course load, along with the submerged classroom environment, seem to have this year’s attendance near an all time high. The crew at Whalebone tracked down a few of the more advanced students in the school’s photography program to survey them on their experiences with ongoing classes. All students were asked the same question: “If there is one lesson that the ocean/water has taught you, that you’ve applied to your life, what would it be?” The following is a series featuring each’s response in both words and photos.
Ray Collins
“The one single constant in my life has been the ocean. It has given me everything I have, and the greatest lessons of my life have been learned from interacting with it. It has taught me patience. It has taught me courage. It has taught me respect. I’ve made such a diverse pack of lifelong friends…our only common thread being saltwater. It has instilled a firsthand appreciation for nature. It’s show me its power, beauty and purity—often all at once. It keeps no record of history; it obeys no law. It is the one ever-changing constant. I have traveled the world in pursuit of documenting it. Whenever I am near it, wherever I am, I am home.”
As featured in Whalebone’s eighth issue, the Water Issue. Check out more of Ray’s work on his website + Instagram.
