Explorer Richard Roshon spoke and gave a presentation on whales and his journeys as an ocean traveler to 60 students and faculty members Tuesday in the Student Center ballroom. Roshon said he took great pride in his work and that the sea was his sanctuary.
"I feel very blessed to have lived this life," Roshon said. "I read, write and live with the sea each and every day. It is my life and my passion."
Junior Kristen Saile said she was very intrigued by Roshon's many adventures and his overall presentation.
"It was really inspiring," she said. "Some of the things he said gave me chills. It was a good thing."
Roshon was born and raised in a sailboat just 800 miles north of the Hawaiian Islands. He has lived among the sea all his life. He said that since his birth, the Islands and the surrounding seas have been a part of him, and he devotes most of his time to kayaking, surfing and whale watching.
Roshon spoke of his many outings, showing slides and a small video of the many places he has traveled and of his many encounters with many species of whales and fish. He also said he learned about the sea and its inhabitants from kayaking and whales.
"There's a great deal we can learn about life through nature if we just take the time to listen," he told the audience.
Roshon has since published books on his adventures and has received accolades from South Africa and Washington, D.C. He has done lectures and presentations at schools, colleges and seminars in Hawaii. He has also traveled more than 25,000 miles of sea around the Islands.
Junior Kevin Rhoades said he was amazed by Roshon's dedication.
"I've never been around anyone who has had that kind of experience," Rhoades said. "I found it amazing that someone could devote their time and life emotionally and spiritually to something of that extent. It makes you think of the big picture."
Along with his time given to the sea, Roshon is also active in the plight against litter and pollution on the Islands, collecting trash and advocating recycling and the preservation of sea life, including whales. He has also written letters of concern to city and state officials, and said he does not believe in forcing his beliefs on others.
"You can't change the way nature is by saying, 'don't do this' or 'don't do that,'" Roshon said. "You have to give reasons for society to make their own opinions."
Roshon told the audience that the residents of Indiana should also be concerned with the value of the earth and its inhabitants, and stressed the importance of the sea.
"We are one world and one species among other species with which we are connected," he said. "We depend on each other."
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