Wander Woman: A Travel Podcast
May 31, 2026 · 53 min · 12 segments
A manta ray glides through water as though it owns the ocean, then you remember the uncomfortable truth: many shark and ray species are sliding towards extinction, and we still do not have enough data…
Phoebe SmithHostHiroshi KumaseitoGuestEleanor BruceGuest
Rika OzakiGuest
Lucilla GrayGuestHajimeGuestBenjamin LebranoGuest
It was time to put our newfound skills into action and so we went back out on the boat and plunged beneath the waves.
Knowing my sightings would be contributing to something that could help protect the species I love so much added another dimension to my dive.
I high-fived my dive buddy and let out a little yelp when we spotted a huge stingray trying to camouflage itself in the sand at the bottom of a 25-metre wall and I proudly pressed the shutter on my camera data captured.
Then inside a small overhang I managed to get a glimpse of the tail of a small shark which swam away before I could even hum a line of the Jaws theme tune.
I loved how when I got back to shore everyone was invested in logging the data on the free Paddy Aware app knowing we'd all done our own bit.
Being in these islands, you get a real sense that even when you're out of the water, it is very much part of the life and belief system here.
During my required surface interval before flying to my next island of Okinawa, I headed to Yaima Village, an outdoor museum that offers a glimpse into the ancient culture here, and I was hit by the impact the waters that surround it play into their everyday belief system.
Then
As well as gods coming from across the seas, ocean culture is
everywhere.
Old houses were built on coral, which works as a natural climate control, as well as offers strength against the annual typhoons.
In shops, tiny briny sea grapes feature and are celebrated for their healthy, life-giving properties.
And on the next island of Okinawa mainland, in a place called Ona, their town mascot is Suna-chan, a coral fairy, her hair a brightly coloured trio of branching staghorn.
Shops sell trinkets made from debris found on beach cleanups, reef-safe sunscreen is manufactured with seaweed, and roadside stalls sell the local firewater, Awamori, which has been fermented in cellars under the sea, along with craft beer brewed with coral water filtered in a limestone underground cave.
singing in Japanese
As the sun set, I learned from locals about Uminchu, a.k.a. ocean people, who have deep spiritual beliefs connected to the ocean here.
To a traveller like me, the sunsets here are dazzling, but to them, seeing the point on the horizon where the sea meets the sky means they are looking at Nirai Kanai, the place where their ancestors go when they die.
During a funeral, the whole family actually goes into the ocean to send their ancestors off.
And in October, similar to Mexico's Day of the Dead, all the seaside shrines are full with family members who come to have a meal on the graves of their deceased relatives.
It was time to put our newfound skills into action and so we went back out on the boat and plunged beneath the waves.
Knowing my sightings would be contributing to something that could help protect the species I love so much added another dimension to my dive.
I high-fived my dive buddy and let out a little yelp when we spotted a huge stingray trying to camouflage itself in the sand at the bottom of a 25-metre wall and I proudly pressed the shutter on my camera data captured.
Then inside a small overhang I managed to get a glimpse of the tail of a small shark which swam away before I could even hum a line of the Jaws theme tune.
I loved how when I got back to shore everyone was invested in logging the data on the free Paddy Aware app knowing we'd all done our own bit.
Being in these islands, you get a real sense that even when you're out of the water, it is very much part of the life and belief system here.
During my required surface interval before flying to my next island of Okinawa, I headed to Yaima Village, an outdoor museum that offers a glimpse into the ancient culture here, and I was hit by the impact the waters that surround it play into their everyday belief system.
Then
As well as gods coming from across the seas, ocean culture is
everywhere.
Old houses were built on coral, which works as a natural climate control, as well as offers strength against the annual typhoons.
In shops, tiny briny sea grapes feature and are celebrated for their healthy, life-giving properties.
And on the next island of Okinawa mainland, in a place called Ona, their town mascot is Suna-chan, a coral fairy, her hair a brightly coloured trio of branching staghorn.
Shops sell trinkets made from debris found on beach cleanups, reef-safe sunscreen is manufactured with seaweed, and roadside stalls sell the local firewater, Awamori, which has been fermented in cellars under the sea, along with craft beer brewed with coral water filtered in a limestone underground cave.
singing in Japanese
As the sun set, I learned from locals about Uminchu, a.k.a. ocean people, who have deep spiritual beliefs connected to the ocean here.
To a traveller like me, the sunsets here are dazzling, but to them, seeing the point on the horizon where the sea meets the sky means they are looking at Nirai Kanai, the place where their ancestors go when they die.
During a funeral, the whole family actually goes into the ocean to send their ancestors off.
And in October, similar to Mexico's Day of the Dead, all the seaside shrines are full with family members who come to have a meal on the graves of their deceased relatives.
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