They call her 'Water Woman' for good reason...
Although when she talks to us she is out of the water, she does not stop having her in mind for a second. In fact, getting in touch has been an odyssey, since she is practically all day submerged in South America, where she is filming a new installment of Discovery Treasure Quest's adventure reality show. **
The show's final season, Snake Island, was filmed on Ilha da Queimada Grande, in Brazil. there they are some of the rarest and most dangerous viper specimens in the world , although, given a choice, Mehgan prefers to swim among other types of predators. "I'd rather be surrounded by sharks in almost any setting. Although I'm not afraid of snakes, they're not my specialty, so I don't know their behavior as much and I don't feel as confident around them. In fact, the first season of Treasure Quest was a crash course in snake behavior -and **the dangers of being around a Golden Spearhead**-. However, like all predators, they too deserve (and require) our admiration and respect," explains Mehgan.
In the program, Heaney-Grier is the only woman in a group of five people, a constant in her life because of her profession. However, it does not seem that this has ever stopped her: "I have always had a lot in common with the boys when it comes to talking about interests and hobbies, so she has been easy and natural to fit into work groups dominated by men. I'm comfortable in that kind of scenario. I was raised to be independent , to have a voice and use it, and to know how much I'm worth. Being treated as an equal is usually not a problem, but if it is, I have no qualms about highlighting it "Defends the famous ecologist.
It is clear that her parents did a good job of giving her self-confidence, because her when she set that famous record (in the category of constant weight of female and male gender) , diving without apparatus was practically born in the United States . "Back then we didn't have the luxury of the internet (incredible as it may seem right now) and written information about this sport was practically non-existent. when I got into training, it was almost entirely a trial/error thing , and even when we organized my attempts to set the record, we did it from scratch: there was no recipe to follow, we were the ones who were walking the path for the first time. Of all the challenges that I have carried out in my life, that is the one that I remember with more affection, Well, it was a moment when I was clearly testing my own limits. At the edge of your comfort zone is where the magic happens; getting that challenge made it all worth it "she remembers Water Woman wistfully.
That happened in 1996; just eight years earlier, at 11 years old, Mehgan marks the moment when she began to love the sea. "My family moved to the Florida Keys after my mother married my stepfather. It was hard to face the change and to be away from everything I knew, but even then I realized how lucky I was to be living on an island surrounded by salt water ", she remembers. It is not for less: Florida Keys is a beautiful archipelago south of Miami, formed on what was once a coral reef. has a amazing vegetation and fauna , and not just for its lush beauty: some species are found nowhere else in the world.
"On the other hand," she adds, "you have to have time to grow yourself and take care of yourself enough enough to have something valuable to offer your family and others. It is practically impossible to give and share if you do not attend to your own needs. have a little time for you recharge and do the things you are truly passionate about , is one of the best things you can do for your loved ones, and it doesn't have to exclude being with them: For me, the best thing is explore the ocean together with my family !" exclaims Mehgan.
So much so that last summer she took her little one with her in her traditional roadtrip through her country : "I have traveled quite a bit, both for work and to satisfy my own curiosities, and the truth is that it is very difficult to choose one place over another (this blue planet has many wonderful places!) However, every summer I take my dog a long road trip across the U.S. Now, it's gone, so last year, my two year old son and i hit the road on our first trip together , camping and exploring it all on the go. We had a great time, and I can say that for me the extraordinary diversity of the american landscape is my favorite ".
Despite his difficulties in staying with just one place in the world, when we ask him about his special place underwater, he is very clear: "The clear and warm waters of the Caribbean and the shark zones in the Bahamas I am very attracted to them", he answers without hesitation. Perhaps these last ones are not areas "for all audiences", but, in case some casual person is thinking of what would be cool to go down to the bottom of the sea , cheer up! "Be open - be free - be respectful and You will have the best experience of your life! There is nothing like diving, and, as I said before, outside of your comfort zone not only do hilarious things happen, but it is the terrain that allows us to grow and be better versions of who we are Mehgan says.
In fact, she dares anything, and she especially likes her shoots. "Sometimes it's hard to spend a lot of time in a far away location, but at the same time it's a lot of fun, because you really bond with the rest of the team when you're working together for so long; the sea world is small, and it is full of good people. The thing is, I always get excited when these works come out. I mean seriously In what other profession can you swim with sharks, wear a mermaid's tail, and be in a plane crash that falls into the ocean in the same week? It's super fun, and it allows me to use all my aquatic abilities. I love it! "Comments the double, which she has replaced Keira Knightley.
Mehgan, who now has a two-year-old son, thinks she's the best to make the love for nature grow in the little ones is "taking the necessary time". “You have to spend time with them in nature: children are curious and imaginative in themselves, as well as very receptive. let them experience the environment through their senses It's basic, from my point of view. Also, share those experiences with them can set the course for your passions and even your studies," says this new mother.
However, her most important work is carried out as defender of the oceans, and she believes that the biggest challenge we face today in this field is the lack of knowledge about what is really going on with them . "From my experience I would say people really care about the state of the seas when they understand the details of what is happening, and even more so when they understand that they can do something to change it. For me, the best formula is: Think / Learn / Act... and never, NEVER LOSE HOPE!", remarks this underwater ambassador.
"I encourage everyone to investigate which you can accomplish with very little effort. Get up on a Saturday morning, grab your cup of coffee and go for a ride to, say, Mission Blue , The Terra Mar Project , Colorado Ocean Coalition , Blue the Dive , Ocean First Institute or 5 Gyres . Make a difference, even if it's just doing a little change in your routine , it's in your hand, and it feels good, so enjoy it!", concludes this contemporary queen of the seas.
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