Mistrust & Missed Opportunities

This is the latest episode of Gulf Tides, a web series I am producing about the oil spill for Gulf Restoration Network. The series is a challenge and I try to make each episode like a segment of PBS' Frontline. Covering a subject as huge as the oil spill can be quite daunting, but in this case I've learned to trust the expertise of my client in keeping the stories focused on a particular aspect of the disaster.

I was lucky enough to record the narration from the actor Tim Robbins. Just knowing that there is a big name attached to the series makes me work hard to produce a quality product.

I'm not sure what the future holds for my coverage of the BP oil spill but work like Gulf Tides has been a pleasure to produce. My only hope is that it in some way makes a difference.

Migration to the Marsh

I produced this video for the National Wildlife Federation. It was a great opportunity to express some of the long term concerns that I have as a duck hunter. Although the BP Oil Spill was a stress on our local environment in South Louisiana, we have been in trouble for a long time. Through two great sources, Bob Marshall with the Times Picayune and Dale Humberg, chief biologist with Ducks Unlimited, I was able to tell that part of our story.

Fishing without Fossil Fuels

This is the latest video for "Stories from the Coast", and ongoing series I am producing for the National Wildlife Federation. In the video I featured my good friend Blake Gill. Blake works for Massey's Outfitters in New Orleans, and he and I have been taking on the sport of kayak fishing for quite some time now.

It was a unique experience shooting video from a kayak (especially when I set up a tripod) but I think my previous experience with the boats went a long way. If someone is going to be filming from a kayak for their first time, I would recommend spending some time getting to know the boat before you let the camera roll.

Oiled Water, Oiled Waste

This episode of Gulf Tides tackles the recent openings of commercial fishing in the BP disaster zone as well as the disposal of waste from the cleanup efforts. I am very happy to be producing this series of mini-documentaries for the Gulf Restoration Network. My good friend Gino with NOLA Image Works and I put a lot of time into making sure these videos are fun to watch. We hope that we can keep the public interest going in the aftermath of the BP Oil Spill.

Coastal and Clean Up Concerns

This is the latest episode of Gulf Tides, a web series I am producing for the Gulf Restoration Network:

Still on Fish

I recently went on a fishing trip with John Iverson, a local fishing guide. John guides for a local Fly Fishing shop called Uptown Angler.

I spent a bright Wednesday morning fishing with John and talking about what his life is like after the BP Oil Spill.

Heavy sacks of uncertainty

Last Wednesday 7-21-10, I filmed in Lake Méchant where the Voisin family of Houma harvests their crop of oysters for their very successful Motivatit Seafood company. Motivatit employs a lot of local people as well as many Central American immigrants who depend on a steady source of income. I found the company to be a stellar example of old fashioned American work ethic and proper resource management.

Dr. Doug Inlkey of the National Wildlife Federation was on hand to learn all that he could about the BP Oil Spill's effects on the Gulf Coast Oyster industry. It was a pleasure to work with Doug and I appreciated his usual passion and pride in helping our situation.

Moving through the media muck

Two days ago the BP Oil Spill marked three months into the minds of gulf coast residents. I regretfully admit to be one of those people.

I've been following the oil spill story through many media sources. I've even produced a few stories of my own. Working with the people, seeing the environment, and noticing the changes has given me a special insight into the disaster -- one that I've felt comfortable sharing with others. I've tried to stay in touch with the story even on my days off by observing what others are saying. I've tried to be diverse in my intake by picking sources from around the country. The links below reflect the media sources I've been using on a daily basis:

The Conservationist, Field and Stream Magazine - Contributors include New Orleans' own Bob Marshall as well as acclaimed outdoor writer Hal Herring. An excellent source for anyone interested in the outdoors.

LACoastpost.com - Dr. Len Bahr was an Coastal Policy adviser for former Louisiana Governor Mike Foster. LACoastpost.com is his pet project that is quickly blossoming into a heavily frequented and very controversial blog.

Gulf Restoration Network - The Youtube channel for the local non-profit's video efforts. Of particular interest is the Gulf Tides Series of Mini-Documentaries of which I am lucky to be working on.

WWL.com - The New Orleans based talk radio station's website. You can live stream their broadcasts. When these guys get heated up, there's no cooling them down.

New York Times Video - You may have to browse through to find spill related stories, but I can promise the filmmakers for this page are some very talented folks. I also recommend browsing through their main page.

Margaret Coble - My neighbor "Mags" is a voracious poster of poignant online material regarding the spill. Friend her on Facebook and I promise you will not miss a beat in the digital realm.

Bob Marshall - Bob is a mentor of mine and I always appreciate his point of view. His stories for the Times Picayune about Louisiana's Coast have been read and respected all around the world.

Tough Times, Tar Balls, and Tourists

Gulf Tides is a web series that I've started shooting for. The show is edited by my good friend Gino at NOLA Image Works and the series is produced by the Gulf Restoration Network.

Please take some time to view the previous episodes 1-4 as well and let me know what you think.

Louisiana Lightning Storm

On Friday 7-16 I headed down to Buras to film a fishing trip with Sal Cusimano. In spite of waking up at 3am to get there on time, we canceled the trip because of bad weather. Travelling home on Highway 23, I found myself surrounded by a lightning storm. The ominous clouds and the bright lightning made for a perfect backdrop so I pulled over and started filming.

Unorthodox is the key

I'm very proud of Louisiana native Drew Landry for showing guts in front of President Obama's Oil Spill Committee.

Hommage à la Louisiane

Last week in Venice, LA I asked a diverse group of people what they loved about living in Louisiana. I then asked them what they feared most about the oil spill. This is what they told me. Music by The Lost Bayou Ramblers.

BP Oil Spill endangers the traditional life for local tribe

I produced this video for National Wildlife Federation. We featured the Atakapa Ishak Native American tribe of Grand Bayou Village in Plaquemines Parish.

A Way of Life in Danger: The People of St. Bernard

Here is a video that I produced for National Wildlife Federation about people in St. Bernard who have ties to the coastal wetlands.

On the ground update 6-19-10

Today I filmed in the Barataria Basin with Aaron Viles from the Gulf Restoration Network and the Atakapa Ishak Indians from Grand Bayou Village.

The trip was lead by Rosina and Maurice Phillipe who are descended from a long line of Atakapas. During French colonization their Atakapa ancestors taught settlers how to survive in the coastal marshes. Through this interaction, the Atakapas learned the French language and passed it down to folks like Rosina and Maurice.

Today, the Atakapas of Grand Bayou live a very traditional way of life in raised houses only accessible by boat. They make a living fishing and trapping and for the most part sustain themselves on local resources. For all of the recent media attention they've been getting, the Phillipes were still very willing to tour us around and talk about their culture.

We took a straight shot man-made canal out to Barataria Bay where Maurice pointed out acres of his oyster grounds that were now hit by the oil. Miles and miles of the marsh grass were caked with oil. This site weighed heavy on all of us, especially Maurice.

On the way back in, we took natural bayous that bended and curved through the marsh. Maurice navigated them with ease -- the kind that one gets after a lifetime spent on the water.

When we were near the village again, Maurice pointed out the location of the Atakapa burial grounds. These sacred sites were no more than 3-4 miles from where we last spotted oil.

It was a great experience to be out with the Atakapas and I look forward to seeing their resilience in reacting to this disaster.

My NWF Video with Dave Mizejewski

I did this video for the National Wildlife Federation. It features Dave Mizejewski who is a naturalist with NWF. Dave and I share many of the same views on how humans and animals are connected in the ecosystem. It was a pleasure to work with him and to produce this video for NWF.

On the ground update 6-14-10

7 miles is all we had to ride from Myrtle Grove Marina to find oil coating the marshes. I was shocked. My previous trips to the oiled wetlands have been out of Venice and down the Mississippi River -- some 30-40 miles from civilization. Now, we're at 7.

Usually when I visit the Myrtle Grove Marina, I'm picking up market shrimp for fishing trips to Magnolia, an area about 13 miles down Highway 23. Magnolia is known amongst kayak fisherman as one of the most accessible and productive spots in South Louisiana and it's not uncommon to fill a kayak with a limit of redfish in a day spent there. It's an easy paddle from the highway and very little motor boat traffic offers a safe experience. Now the oil is 7 miles away from Magnolia. I can't tell from the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries fishing closure maps whether Maganolia is still open or not. I would love to take a day off and go fishing there, but I'm asking myself if I would really want to eat fish that could have been exposed to the toxic goo.

Not far from the 7 mile spot where we first saw oil was the mobile command center for cleanup operations. Men in hard hats and life vests worked on barges piled high with hard boom, absorbent boom, and bags of plastic pom poms. All different types of boats pulled in and out as fishermen left for cleanup assignments. Oiled white boom lined the banks of the adjacent marshes.

For someone who has never spent time in the wetlands, this may not have been a tough sight to see, but for me it was devastating. The marsh is where I go to escape the hustle and bustle of my everyday life. The peaceful serenity of a wide open prairie and slow moving bayous offers me a release that can't be found anywhere else. The fish and waterfowl that I take from this environment lets me sustain myself in a way that my ancestors did. Now, the marsh has been transformed into a noisy, oily mess and we've yet to figure out a way to stop the leak.

My American Indetity after the BP Oil Spill

Last Thursday, the sun was setting over Delacroix Island as Jerry Alfonso manned our flat boat down Bayou Gentilly. My eyes were fixed on the blood orange sky drifting over the marsh grass. Mottled ducks flew over pipeline canals and the smell of salt water and sticky marshes blew with the wind rushing past me. "This is my home" were the words that played in my head and in that moment my American identity changed forever.

I am ashamed to say that I have not heard of any other place in America where its citizens have yet to claim their right to exist. We at the Mississippi River's Delta have no voice. Every day we see more of our coastline disappear and now a massive oil spill threatens our natural resources. Some say that we are treated like a colony. By all accounts of coastal land loss and the long term sacrifices we've made, we are in a losing battle with the Gulf of Mexico. Does America realize that we are being attacked ?

For more than a thousand years the inhabitants of Coastal Louisiana found sustenance in the estuaries forged by the confluence of the river and the gulf. The sheer abundance of the region blessed the people with the necessities of survival. There was little separation between the people and the land. Agrarian life certainly had its downfalls but communities were built and often times flourished.

South Louisiana evolved through this connection and continued to do so until mankind began to severely alter the landscape in the 1930's. The consequences of these actions would deteriorate one third of the entire region by the time Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. During this disaster, the water overtook the land like never seen before and the nation turned its eyes to us. We were in the spotlight for a while but when the media left we were on our own. Volunteers poured in to support us and they helped to restore the region. Where FEMA left off, good Americans pulled together, got to work, and rebuilt their lives from the ground up...literally.

The oil spill is the new major challenge for our region. This time nature plays the passive role as a corporation and a lack of government oversight are the major threat. Leaders are emerging on a local level, but most of us feel alienated from the rest of the country. We've had hurricanes, and lots of them, but this beast has us backed into a corner.

BP is our common enemy and rightly so. The company is the face of evil and we want them punished. If laws are upheld and the American justice system prevails, we might get our wish.

As for the future, we have no idea of what this oil will do to our ecosystem. The spill combined with the rate of ongoing wetlands loss may cause damages that we can never recover from.

With this I am considering my roles in forming this disaster. Opposing political parties seem to want me to hate myself for being addicted to oil or to endlessly support a company's right to earn profit. I don't see any of these lawmakers and naysayers out on the bayou. They don't know how to make a roux, peel a crawfish, or where I'm at. Yet I have been living with much more than my great-grandparents ever did. They had less and conserved more and I can't honestly say I know how to do this.

I enjoy being comfortable, driving where I'm going, and using my laptop. The fossil fuels I burn to enjoy these things are one of the many resources this earth has to offer. I'm not going to be able to stop using fossil fuels, I know this, but I can begin to be more conservative in the way that I use them.

As for alternatives, I don't have many options. I can walk and bike more, turn off the lights when I leave, and try to avoid plastics. I could also develop a long term plan to curb my energy use. I'll have to do something, because the status quo got us into this mess and I surely won't be leaving the place I love if I don't have to.

I will never be the same after this experience and I am inviting anyone who wants to change to join me. I'm going to take a hard look at the way I use energy and consume products. I'm not going off the grid or yelling about a falling sky. I'm going to learn my lesson and not be defeated. I will do what it takes to protect my home and prepare for the future. I may have to make some lifestyle changes, so be it...my great-grandparents did it. This oil spill and the wetlands loss are attacks on American soil and if I don't look seriously at my role in this, there will be no future for South Louisiana.

On the ground update #12

I got home at 10:30 pm last night from an evening fishing trip with a friend, Mr. Jerry Alfonso. Mr. Jerry is a 77 year old Isleño who grew up at Delacroix Island. His unending knowledge of the waters and the wildlife of that area always makes for quite a fishing trip.

We filled an icechest full of black drum, redfish, and trout and if not for the loss of daylight, we would have filled another. The trip was a good way for me to appreciate the environment that I am fighting to protect and to reflect on the work I have done so far.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of last week I filmed the National Wildlife Federation's work in Venice, LA.

On Tuesday, we visited a pelican rookery in the northern area of Barataria Bay. The island had indeed been hit by dispersed oil. The area was some 80 miles from the site of the leak and was much too close to Louisiana's shoreline for comfort. This was very disturbing, but the majority of the pelicans on the island seemed to be unaffected for now.

Wednesday was a heart-breaker. Our original goal was to get as close to the Deepwater Horizon site as possible. Because of bad weather offshore, we detoured to a western area of the Gulf of Mexico. About 12 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River we found a large slick of black crude oil. This was not the dispersed oil that I had seen on my last trip with NWF. This stuff was nasty and it could be seen for miles in every direction. Even more disturbing was the fact that this oil was sprayed with dispersant that same night and was dispersed throughout the water column the next day. The quick action may have had something to do with President Obama's visit on Friday.

The danger and long term effects of the dispersants are still unkwnown. The Coast Guard claims that crude oil is 50 to 100 times more toxic than the dispersant. I am not a scientist and there have been no complete studies released on this, so I don't know if this is true. I do know that it does take the crude oil, which sits primarily at the surface, and spreads it throughout the entire water column. If there were more effective methods for skimming the oil off the surface, it would make a lot of sense not to use these dispersant. Why have these methods have not been developed if we are going to drill 5,000 feet below the sea for crude oil ? -- no one seems to know.

As this leak goes on, my personal philosophies about many things have changed. I've begun to think about the oil spill and the overall loss of coastal wetlands in a different light. I am now calling these disasters an attack on American soil and everyday that the oil leaks and every 30 minutes that we lose wetlands is a defeat. If our country, our Congress, and our Commander in Chief begin to think this way, I would surely hope they would act to defend us.

Rebuttal to BP's Claim of only 30 acres of oiled marsh

I put together this video for National Wildlife Federation after their Coastal Louisiana Organizer, Chris Pulaski, flew over the delta to investigate BP's claims that only 30 acres of wetlands were hit by the oil.

Underneath the Oil Spill

I put together this quick video for National Wildlife Federation after our trip into the spill on May 26th, 2010.

Garret Graves talks about the BP Oil Leak

I filmed this interview with Garret Graves. It will be one of the first for a new project I am starting to document the overall significance of the wetlands in Coastal Louisiana.

Garret Graves from Louisiana Estuary Project on Vimeo.

On the ground update # 11

On Friday I went out on a boat from Hopedale, LA. I went with a friend of mine, Glen Mankin and his son Austin. Glen is an oyster and crab fisherman and Austin is a very talented fifth grader with a natural film making and writing ability.

Shortly after the leak began, I called the Mankins to see how things were going for them. Since, then Glen and I have talked a good bit about what is going on and we share the same fears for the wetlands and the fisheries.

We took Glen's boat out to Brush Island which is one of the last land formations of the Louisiana marsh before reaching the open waters of the Chandeleur Sound. Marsh Island is the site of a shell midden that was made by ancient Native American tribes. Over many years, the tribes would leave the shell castings in piles, and over the years these mounds would get quite large.

We went to the island to search for tar balls from the BP Oil Leak. What we found may have been even more disturbing. Upon arriving at the island, we could see thick black waves washing up against the shore. Thinking that this was oil, my heart sank upon first sight of the sludge. I grabbed my camera and the three of us walked over to investigate. With a closer look, we were able to determine that it was not oil in the water, but it was soil being washed off the island. Inside the soil were tiny pieces of grass.

Glen has spent a lot of time near this island and told me that he was not accustomed to seeing this. We continued to survey the island, but we didn't find any tar balls. Another alarming site we did find were slicks of a milky white substance on top of the water. Without knowing what we found, we wrapped up our journey and headed back to Hopedale.

I got a call from Glen on Sunday. He sounded disturbed and I asked him what had happened. He had just left the mobile command center in Hopedale. He was signing up his boat for a few days of work with the Vessel of Opportunity Program. One official there told him that the white substance we saw at Brush Island was the dispersant chemical that BP is using to break up the crude oil. The soil and grass in the water was a result of the dispersant killing the grass to the root and the wave action breaking up the land.

I've yet to hear an official confirmation of this report, but for now I will treat it as true. If this is the case, then the chemical dispersant is moving further inland than the oil is. Hopefully, something will develop over the next few days to explain why this might be happening. Either way, this is not good for the wetlands and fisheries that we depend on.

BP Oil Leak -- On the ground update #10

Yesterday I did some interviews throughout St. Bernard Parish. Instead of talking to fisherman and those directly involved with the protection efforts, I decided to talk to people who worked at seafood restaurants. My first interview was with Tina Melerine who works at the Green Store in Poydras, LA. Tina herself has worked as a commercial fisherman and looks back fondly on the 8 years she spent on the water with her husband. Her two sons are now commercial fisherman in St. Bernard and she is worried about the future of their livelihoods.

I also interviewed Jeff Pohlman who owns Today's Ketch Seafood. Jeff was unloading a fresh batch of boiled crabs as I did his interviews. The crabs were freshly harvested from the waters of St. Bernard after the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries opened the area to fishing last Friday evening.

Jeff talked about what it was like to bounce back after Katrina and how the oil leak could be very different for his business. He told me that after Katrina, the seafood was abundant, but his material possessions were harder to replace . Now, with the oil slowly penetrating St. Bernard's waters, Jeff does not want to think of the long term effects on the local fisheries.

BP Oil Leak - On the ground update # 9

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced Friday evening that it would open fishing in areas east of the Mississippi River. This includes most of the Breton Sound Basin, and my favorite fishing destination, Delacroix Island. I have some things to take care of over the next few days, but you can bet that I will be out fishing Delacroix as soon as possible. I am not worried about the fish in that area being contaminated because there has not been a single report of oil sheen that far inside the estuary. Most reports of oil sightings are still occurring out in the Breton and Chandeleur sounds.

Tomorrow I will interview the Mankin family. I recently met the family after working with their oldest son, Austin, on a video. The father, Glen Mankin, is an oyster fisherman. Although the east side of the river is now open to recreational and commercial fishing, oyster harvesting is still closed, so Glen is still out of work. Now that an outside contractor will be facilitating the BP Vessel of Opportunity program in St. Bernard Parish, many fishermen like Glen will be leaving the program. The reasons vary amongst fishermen but a large part of their absence has to do with the rules and regulations that they must follow. I can understand how they feel. They have been catching shrimp, crabs, and oysters for many years by doing what they know best. Now, they would be working for some outside company, not fishing, and under strict scrutiny in their performance.

Its an eery feeling that things appear to be progressing and the oil has not reached the marsh like many of us thought it would have. There's no way to tell whether or not the coastal communities have escaped this disaster because the oil is still leaking and the relief well is still two months from being finished. There are also no reports on the impacts of the chemical dispersants in the water column. Yet, me must, as we have done many times in South Louisiana, strive forward to protect our home.

BP Oil Leak - On the ground update #8

Yesterday I filmed at the BP Oil Leak command center in Hopedale, LA. I did interviews with some of the fisherman who are working as temporary contractors for BP under the Vessel of Opportunity Program.

Under the program, BP moved quickly to hire local fishermen work as crews to prevent the oil from seeping into the marsh. Because of this initiative, many fisherman who would be out of work due to fishing closures are able to earn an income.

The fisherman I talked to shared thoughts, ideas, and concerns of the oil leak and it's suspected ability to damage the abundance of fish and wildlife in the coastal estuaries. One gentleman I talked to, Raymond "Bozo" Couture, told me that he thought the marsh would take at least 10 years to recover from a major hit by the oil leak.

Others were worried about the long term damage to their health from exposure to the dispersant chemicals that are being used to break up the oil slick. Without any solid public information on the chemical makeup and danger of the dispersants, I certainly share their concern.

State Senator A.G. Crowe who represents St. Tammany, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Orleans parishes seems to be one of our public officials who is pressing the State's Attorney General Buddy Caldwell to further investigate the danger of the dispersants. I would encourage those of you who share my concerns to write Senator Crowe an email of support as well as one to Attorney General Caldwell asking that he pursue Senator Crowe's requests.

BP Oil Leak - On the ground update # 7

Today I went to Delacroix Island in St. Bernard Parish. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries Delacroix was a thriving village of Spanish families that found sustenance in the waters and marshes of the Breton Sound Basin. I myself am a descendant of these people who call themselves Los Isleños.

Today, most of the original Spanish families have left Delacroix for higher ground in the western parts of St. Bernard Parish. Still, some Isleños have remained, choosing to continue the traditional way of life as fishermen.

My first stop was at the Destination Delacroix Fishing Lodge where its owner Freddie Dietz was doing some long over-due maintenance to his place. Normally, Freddie would be taking his charter clients out for some early summer speckled-trout fishing, but because the Louisiana Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries has closed fishing in the Breton Sound Basin under pressure of the encroaching oil leak, Freddie was on dry land today.

I talked with Freddie about what the oil leak meant for the productive estuary where he makes a living. He certainly was alarmed, but he showed it with the resilience it took to survive multiple hits to his business from hurricanes Katrina, Ike, and Gustav.

Freddie also told me why the oil leak could be devastating to the estuary. He explained that this the time of year marks the beginning of the life cycle for many of the species of wildlife that inhabit the area and a strike during this stage could deplete their abundance for many years to come.

After talking with Freddie for a bit, I made my way up Delacroix Highway back towards the western end of the parish. I didn't go far before I ran into a old timer who I knew was an Isleño upon first sight. I can't explain how I knew, but those from the area will know what I mean.

I got out of my car and introduced myself and before long the man and I had determined that we were actually third cousins. His mother and my great-grandfather were sister and brother. I was not surprised.

The man's name was Thomas Gonzales, 71-years-old., and he has been a fisherman since he was old enough to work on a boat. We sat and talked under his mobile home which he had raised 17 feet off the ground in 2007. Mr. Thomas told me about oil spills that had happened in the interior marshes many years ago. The clean-up method back then was to burn the affected marsh, and let a new layer of grass grow from below the ash. This process is something that is being considered if the current BP leak finds its way into the marshes.

Mr. Thomas told me, as many others have, that the oil leak will be much worse for the estuary than a hurricane. He was fishing crabs only 3 months after Katrina, but if the oil gets into the marsh he had little faith that it would recover soon.

BP Oil Leak - On the ground update #6

Today I spent my time filming in Hopedale, LA which is located in my hometown of St. Bernard Parish. There is a command center setup on the grounds of Breton Sound Marina for the teams of cleanup and prevention crews working to corral the oil leak. The site is managed by BP and the St. Bernard Parish Government. I am so proud of Parish President Craig Taffaro and the team of responders he has put together as well as the many fisherman who are working to lay out protective oil booms for the safety of St. Bernard's fragile wetlands.

The highlights for me today were filming Governor Jindal's helicopters landing at Breton Sound and interviewing Garret Graves, Director of the Governor's Office of Coastal Activities. Governor Jindal held a press conference to address the state of the oil leak regarding St. Bernard Parish as well as to make the call for more resources to be sent to protect the productive estuaries of the parish. The press conference ended on a light note with with Governeror Jindal holding a condensed oil nugget out to the crowd.

The updates were confirmed that the dispersed oil had reached St. Bernard waters in the outer areas of the Chandeleur Sound. Although tensions were high because of increased uncertainty, the people of St. Bernard showed the same resiliency that re-built the parish after Hurricane Katrina. Although the future of St. Bernard's coastal resources remains in danger, we are all hoping for the best.

BP Oil Leak -- On the ground update # 5

Today I took a trip into the oil leak with Larry Schweiger, President of National Wildlife Federation and press folks from Field and Stream magazine and the Washington Post. We took the Mississippi River through South Pass and rode 14 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. This was the same distance that we found the oil on the previous day so it had not moved any further towards the mouth of the river.

Our charter captain, Damon McKnight with Superstrike Charters, gave some insight as to why this might be happening. He explained that the area of the gulf where the oil was located did not have a strong current running towards the mouth of the river. He also explained that the currents running out of the river mouth and into the gulf may be keeping the oil at bay.

The oil appeared to be much thicker and condensed than it was on Tuesday. This was probably a result of calmer seas. The rough seas and high winds of the last few days have kept the dispersed oil particles from forming together. The smell of the chemicals that were used to break the oil down was much stronger today as well.

After surveying the oil for about 15 minutes, our captain spotted a sea turtle on the surface. He crept the boat in the turtle's direction and the turtle stayed put. I thought for sure the turtle was dying because he did not seem alarmed. When we were close enough to see him better we realized that he was feeding on a dying jellyfish that was caught in the dispersed oil. Just as we got close enough to take a picture, the turtle dove below the surface and I was not able to get a clean shot of him eating the jelly fish.

This was the second day in a row that we saw a sea turtle swimming in the murky oil water, and we are pretty sure they are attracted to the oil because it holds dead jellyfish on the surface.

What really shocked me about riding through the oil today was that there was not a single boat or crew to be seen testing the oil and taking samples. Without someone testing the dispersed oil and knowing its dangers, we have no idea the kind of long term impacts that we could be facing.

I have yet to hear any kind of environmental impact statement from BP that covers the status of the dispersed oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. I encourage everyone who reads this to contact their members of congress demanding that BP immediately examines the environmental impacts of the dispersed oil in the gulf.

On the ground update #4

I'm rushing to leave for Venice. My dogs are looking at me like "What about us ?". I wish they could understand that this is something that I have to do to protect my home. I owe them a good trip to the park when things slow down.

Yesterday I caught my first glimpse of the oil. We headed out 15 miles into the Gulf of Mexico through Pass a Loutre. The seas were a bit rough but it felt nice to be on the open water. When we hit depths of about 350 feet, we began to see signs of oil. What we saw was not large globs or sheens of black oil, but billions of tiny pellets that were a reddish-brown color. This was due to the dispersants that BP is pouring onto the slick as well as the gulf's natural ability to break down the oil.

After I had filmed the oil and the CNN crew on board was done filming their piece, we decided to head back. Then, out of nowhere, a sea turtle appeared and he was swimming straight for our boat. Of course the only thing that I could do was point my camera at him, although what I really wanted to do was get in there and get him out of the oil. Looking back I'm not sure if his intentions were to be saved or just a curiosity of what we were doing in his home. I don't know what his fate will be, but I will never forget that sea turtle.

On the ground update # 3

I just got back home from Venice. Earlier today I made a trip with National Wildlife Federation through Baptiste Collette Bayou and into Breton Sound. There is a very interesting project taking place in Baptiste Collette. The Army Corps of Engineers dredges the bayou periodically and pumps the sediment through a pipeline and into the marsh. The result has been the successful building of new land. If we are going to ultimately save Louisiana's vanishing coastline, it will be through concrete results such as this.

After exiting the bayou into Breton Sound, we made our way across to Breton Island. The island is set up as a National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge provides habitat for colonies of nesting wading birds and seabirds, as well as wintering shorebirds and waterfowl. There were plenty of those birds to be seen today and thankfully there was no sign of oil being washed onto the island.

I just read an article in The Times Picayune that explained why we have yet to see oil on the coast. Apparently, the recent high winds and heavy rains have dissipated the oil slick into billions of tiny pieces. This may be good news for now, but we have to stay focused on the long term impacts and the fact that the leak is on-going.

Fishing Banned Along Oily Gulf Coast

On the ground update #2

Today I arrived at the Venice Marina at 9 am to meet the team from National Wildlife Federation (NWF). My task for the day was to follow NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger with my video camera. The footage I shot will be used as part of an outreach e-blast NWF will send to its membership.

The winds were relentless today but we were lucky to have a flotilla of boats manned by local charter fishing captains. Our first trip took us down the Mississippi River out to the Gulf through South Pass. It was cool to see the old lighthouse near Port Eads. When we got out of South Pass into the gulf, I also saw the original wooden jetties designed by James Buchanan Eads in 1876.

The area that we surveyed was already flush with oil booms. Most of the booms had stayed in place but because of increased wave action and heavy winds from the south, a few booms had washed ashore.

After conducting a few interviews and surveying the area, we returned back to the marina. For lunch I had a basket of fried oysters. I've been trying to eat a lot of oysters lately to compensate for an uncertain future without them.

Our second trip out to the Gulf would take us into the Delta Wildlife Refuge and through Pass a Loutre. We were escorting a team from ABC's Good Morning America. Delta Wildlife Refuge was a gorgeous reminder of what I am fighting so hard to protect. There were roseau canes as far as the eyes could see and every few minutes groups of blue-winged teal were whizzing up and away from the boat.

The charter captain on this trip was very knowledgeable and has spent his entire life on the waters of the delta. He took us to a spot outside Pass a Loutre where a wave of oil sheen killed a large patch of roseau canes. Although it hurt me to see this, I knew the team of people I was working with on this trip would use these images to tell the story of a great ecosystem in danger.

Tomorrow I will be filming a team of people who fly a drone plane with a camera attached to it. The plan is to get aerial footage of the oil sheen and use the footage to get this story out to the public.

On the ground update #1

I went to a hazardous materials training session today facilitated by the St. Bernard Parish Government. There were over 200 commercial fisherman as well as a number of recreational charter fishing captains. The session was sponsored by BP as a way to fast-track certification for those who will be working to corral the oil leak.

I was supposed to actually film some of the session but after talking with an old family friend, Mr. Charles Robin, I decided to take the training so that I could work with him on his double rigger by laying out protective oil booms. I won't be able to start working with Mr. Charles on the Ellie Margaret until I have fulfilled my obligations to the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to film sessions with their CEO and president Larry Schweiger.

Phase 1 of the operation will begin tomorrow morning and will consist of teams of fisherman on their personal vessels laying out oil booms. They will be assigned to certain areas in the eastern part of the Breton Sound basin in St. Bernard Parish.

I will be heading to Venice, LA in the morning to film a boat tour with the folks from NWF. I believe that NWF is going to play a huge role in the national response to this tragedy and I consider myself very lucky to be working with them.

This is a very stressful time for the people of St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. Those of us who've invested much of our lives into the estuaries of the Breton Sound basin know that this oil leak will be detrimental to this great American natural resource.