Deep Ecology Hawaii – End of an era?

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I have never once posted information about the dive business I founded in 1996, Deep Ecology Hawaii, because I always knew that my enemies would increase attacks against it. Indeed I have watched my mother weeping on the phone to the IRS who was threatening to take away her home if she did not pay more taxes. So my silence regarding this business was to protect my mother who took it over in 2001 when I fled the United States and sought political asylum in The Netherlands. My name was officially taken off the company shortly after I left the stolen Nation of Hawaii, it was time for this anyway as I had not paid personal income tax for years. The truth can now be shared however as my dear mother passed away last February and in my absence the business has been shut down due to a perfect storm of sabotage and debt. Of course my enemies have accused me of being rich from this company and even slandered my mother on more than one occasion, claiming she was a thief and fraudster just like me. Of course it stung to hear such lies about her, she was a dear, dear woman and my saving grace. Deep Ecology itself was a truly remarkable company, the is a marine sanctuary on the North Shore of Oahu that was created as a direct result of the work we did. This in a Hawaiian state that has less than 1% of its coastline protected. The following video will tell part of the story of the making of that sanctuary. I personally rescued 46 endangered Green Sea Turtles, many of which would have died or lost limbs were it not for these interventions. I taught others how to conduct these rescues and all in all over 55 turtles were rescued by Deep Ecology. We recovered 13 Ghost Nets, two of them at over 200 feet deep. We recovered several tonnes of marine debris from Hawaiian beaches before most knew anything about the swirling pool of trash in the North Pacific.

Sadly more than one employee betrayed Deep Ecology, taking the goodwill and love of my mother and returning it with theft of resources and customers. Some employees left us in the direct aftermath of my moms passing, at a most vulnerable time and I was told that the military had an undeclared boycott of the company when I returned to Hawaii earlier this year, in the aftermath of my mother’s passing, so as to preserve her spirit in the company. Indeed she killed herself keeping the company going, partly because she wanted to hand it back to me and my children. Many attacks came at the company and I did my best but my life and commitment was to my family in London and so I had to entrust others and hope for the best. Without any warning whatsoever the company was shut down and as it stands Deep Ecology is no more and there is debt to be paid. I say all this because I could never say anything about this beautiful company and my beautiful mother who ran it for 13 years. We have left a legacy, and likely the path will be to liquidate assets, pay off the debt and call it a day. But I will be posting a crowd funding campaign proposal that will allow for the company to be saved and run by investors who want to see this company saved. The total amount required to make this so will likely be in the area of $80,000. This is no small amount and I am willing to accept whatever is meant to be. But before I accept the end of Deep Ecology’s legacy, and my mothers legacy, I will see if investors want to revive it and become owners of this incredibly unique and special company. It’s history is unparalleled, there simply is nothing like it, and its customer base goes back 18 years. Our mission statement was as follows:

To provide superior service and customer satisfaction.
To protect and defend the marine environment we operate within.

We fulfilled this mission in spades, and this company could come back stronger than ever. And if it is revived I will likely do it under the Lawful Hawaiian Government, not the criminal US Government. But that is neither here nor there unless serious investors decide to make it so. There is still great staff left, with a marketable company that never reached its potential largely because I could not promote it. But if it is revived I will promote it with the understanding of those who take it over. Or I will walk away and those investors can carry it on only if they maintain a written commitment to maintain our mission statement.

Please enjoy the video, please share far and wide, and if you or someone you know might be able to invest and run a company in Hawaii, then contact me and we shall look at that possibility. As I said I will post a crowd funding campaign soon. Thank you to all who share, help or otherwise assist in the revival of this great social enterprise. TJP

Comments(6)

  • Steve Smith
    October 8, 2014, 8:00 pm  

    Thank you Ken for all that you do for humanity …… And unbeknown to me …. The animal kingdom. It will be a sad day if you can’t revive this amazing initiative. I will post some information on my community notice board. I really hope we can help.

    • 1worldcitizen
      October 8, 2014, 8:46 pm

      Thank you very kindly Steve. It is ok either way, attachment is not the way of wisdom. But maybe there is life in Deep Ecology yet, and if people make it so, this social enterprise will not be owned by me, it will be owned by those who save it. TJP

  • buzz(Israel/Palestine)
    October 11, 2014, 8:40 pm  

    hi Ken, sorry to hear about ur moms’ passing. hope she can still help u at a soul level. wrote some RT on twitter, maybe people will care and find a way to help ‘deep ecology’.have a pleasant life, thank u for ur humane approach to all life on this planet. take care.x

  • buzz(Israel/Palestine)
    October 11, 2014, 10:55 pm  

    hi Ken, found some more ppl & small organizations
    of divers/conservation/photography… hope they can
    help save Hawaiian sea turtles. wrote to their twitter pages.
    thank u for caring for all life on this planet.
    hope u get some replies and real help. bye,x

  • buzz
    October 31, 2014, 12:52 am  

    hi, Ken- was great to hear u on @volcania_radio with Richie Allen tonight. hope ppl will go to ur site to read this article about Deep Ecology,watch the amazing videos.. maybe someone will be able to help finance/buy the place to keep this work going. please try contacting joanocean.com from Hawaii, maybe she has a way, she knows so many ppl who come swim with the whales/dolphins and donate. maybe one of them can help save ur project. I tried writing many PADI ppl and organizations, 5 days no reply from anyone. maybe u got some responses. notified all major photographers and diving organizations all over the planet… no reply. can u do the same? choose a few major names and send this page (plea + videos) to them… maybe they’ll respond. really hope it will be o.k. , for the sake of the marine creatures there!
    have a pleasant day, keep on fighting for what is right.
    u r a model for humanity. u r so cool.
    proud of u.
    bye. take care.
    glad ur kids have a sensitive, kind dad.
    this is compassion. u r an awakened soul !
    x

  • nooralhaqiqa
    March 12, 2015, 4:15 pm  

    Ken, I have been a supporter of you and your political work for many years and knew of your past in Hawaii but these films show another side of you that …

    well you can blush because I cannot think of an accolade extreme enough for you!

    But you without that tear? And long blonde hair.

    On all levels, you age magnificently ~ thank you so much for all that you do and have done and will do and…

    Thank you from the turtles.

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