Kristijan Curavić’s Underwater Speech: A Plea for Our Oceans

Dear Ocean Lovers from all over the world, and respected leaders who hold the destiny of our shared future in their hands.

I address you today not as a president but as a diver from a place only a few ever stand to speak—from the cold, silent, polluted seabed of the Island of Krapanj, here in the Adriatic Sea of Croatia.

Island of Krapanj, along with the Island of Kalymnos in Greece, which are our guests up on the surface, represent two of the oldest islands on the planet with a strong sponge-diving tradition, and today we celebrate the official brotherhood signing to preserve cultural marine heritage.

I did not choose to address you from a warm podium, or a climate conference hall. I stand before you beneath the ocean surface, surrounded by the ocean—the vast, living cradle that covers seventy percent of our planet – and provides every second breath we take.

From this depth, I reach out not only to mankind, but directly to world decision-makers: to Heads of State, to corporate CEOs, to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and to the leaders of international institutions across every continent.

My message to you from this ocean floor is simple, stark, and urgent:

We must unite. We must unite before it is too late to preserve the very natural resources that sustain all life on Earth.

The Ocean took my life at the age of 4 when I drowned and was clinically dead for more than 5 minutes, but the Sea didn’t take my life; I was saved, and since the age of 5 I have spent my life in these depths as a free diver, professional commercial diver, and instructor,

but mostly as a cleaner in recent years. Last recent 20 years I had a honour to sat across tables with global leaders (heads of state, royal families) for over two decades.

Having heard endless speeches, empty promises made in board rooms, – on dry land while the life beneath our blue blanket is day by day being annihilated. Down here, in the quiet world, the words and policies can’t penetrate; here only action counts and can make a difference.

Here, there are no borders, no political factions, no religious or ideological differences. Here you can find true peace, but I’m not sure how much life you will find here in 50 or 100 years. Here in the dark you can feel the fragility of the endangered life….

My mission is heavy but very clear: unite you all and give this quiet world beneath the ocean surface the chance to prevail.

Deep Gratitude to Founding Members and Supporters

“I would like to use this opportunity to express deep and profound gratitude to some of the most respected founders of OACM and members of royal families who gave me the opportunity and the VOICE to be heard globally—to those who believed and, most importantly, trusted me with their names to build OACM into the most significant world organization, currently working across 7 continents toward the ratification of the world’s 1st Sustainable and Verified Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty that will unite mankind.

• Mr. Bernie Ecclestone: My friend, mentor, and advisor, who was one of the very first to believe in me personally when no one else did.
• His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco: For his trust, loyalty, and lifelong commitment to ocean conservation, which he has championed for the last 30 years. Thank you for opening World Aqua Day, described as the world’s largest underwater ocean cleanup across 60 nations. He officially launched White Flag International, which set the benchmark for the Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty verification system. Your Serene Highness, thank you on behalf of this quiet place and its habitats. Now, please take the next step with us in Greece.
• H.E. Stjepan Mesić, Former President of Croatia: For his support since 2009 and the launch of the Croatian National Program.
• H.E. Henrik Offstad, Ambassador of Norway: For arranging an audience with His Majesty King Haakon of Norway to support the first pilot plastic-free marine area in Norway in 2014.
• H.E. Borut Pahor, Former President of Slovenia: For launching the first Fresh Water Preservation Program at Lake Bled.
• H.E. Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, Former President of North Macedonia: For continuing President Pahor’s work by expanding the Certified Fresh Water Aquatic Area designation.
• His Majesty King Charles III: For his personal encouragement and support of the White Flag Program during the Our Ocean Conference in Malta in 2017.
• H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Former President of Malta: For creating several pilot programs in Malta that form the foundations of today’s Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty, and for her professional ethics and dedication to the environment.
• H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Daij Al Khalifa, Royal Council: For his support of ocean preservation initiatives in the region.
• H.E. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada: For his official support of the OACM program in 2018, which gave OACM significant access to advance the Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty movement among G7 and G20 nations.
• H.E. Danny Faure, Former President of Seychelles: For introducing Africa’s first Certified SAFE Marine Area for Human and Marine Life.
• His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan: For his office’s support of the White Flag Program in Jordan and the Middle East in 2023, with special personal appreciation for His Majesty and the Prince for their involvement in scuba diving to physically remove plastic in Aqaba.
• Dr. Taleb Rifai, Former Secretary-General of UNWTO: For giving me insight into weaknesses in organizational structures so we know how to address them; for his trust in creating the Middle East Arab Nations United Ocean Initiative; and for officially informing all UN Secretaries-General of the upcoming scalable Sea Treaty. Only his remarkably strong character can match his experience, together with his kindness, humility, and, above all, loyalty.
• H.E. Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director of the Tourism Board, and H.E. Dawood Abdul Rahman Al Hajiri: For the support of the united Arab nations in 2022, and for the support of the Director General of Dubai Municipality and Dubai’s leadership.

2nd part: Leaving the past behind and looking into the future

The Underwater Address: Moral Imperative & Call to Unity

Leaving the past behind, and carrying forward the trust and loyalty given to me by our founders and leaders, I feel a profound personal, ethical, and moral obligation to continue on the path laid before us. We are in an imminent race to save our oceans, lakes, and rivers.

I have always been guided by a simple philosophy: One man’s life and comfort is a small price to pay for the greater good—especially when you are trying to save the very thing that defined your life, your character, and the path placed before you.

Yet today, in a hyper-materialistic and fast-moving world, personal interest and greed continue to fuel the destruction of our natural world, causing the tragic loss of global biodiversity and the death of millions of marine creatures every single day. I have personally extracted dead sea turtles from the ocean floor with my own hands. Experiencing that firsthand down here changes a man’s perspective forever.

While I witness empty pledges and policies crafted on dry land—far removed from the seabed I am addressing you from today—I see the stark reality right behind me. Up on the surface, people tell one story. Down here on the ocean floor, the seabed tells a completely different story. As you can see behind my back, the pollution is real, present, and unforgiving.

Despite this, I still believe in humanity. I still believe there are courageous Heads of State, corporate leaders, and decision-makers who have the strength to make a monumental difference if we unite.

So I stand before you today, on behalf of all life in our oceans, lakes, and rivers, with a direct appeal:

UNITE and JOIN US in launching the world’s first scalable and verified Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty next year in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Let us stand together as one, heads of state, decision makers, fisherman, divers, lets move beyond empty pledges and endless discussions toward measurable, human-hand plastic extraction that can purge past, present, and future plastic debris from our waters. No amount of research, science, or international conferences can physically remove the deadly volume of plastic already suffocating our oceans—only the human hand can do that.

A Message of Peace: The Ocean Connects Us All

Just five years ago, ocean preservation was an internationally urgent topic, recognized as an immediate threat to the survival of mankind. Today, in an era dominated by war, conflict, and escalating geopolitical disputes, ocean preservation has been quietly pushed off the global agenda.

This tragic shift reminds me of the powerful words spoken by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan during his address to the United Nations in New York:

“We are at a unique moment in history; the scale of knowledge and the speed of change are unprecedented. Every day brings another crisis, another tragedy, another emergency, demanding our attention. One study shows that average screen attention has fallen from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds today.

A screen is not the world. But it says something about the world today where attention has become a scarce habit, and where we choose to direct it has never mattered more.”

We cannot allow global conflict—no matter how tragic—to blind us to our primary life support system. Wars and geopolitical disputes divide nations, but the ocean connects us all. It recognizes no borders, no political factions, and no ideological divides. If we lose the ocean, we lose everything – there will be no wars any more to fight, because all thing will seize to exist.

Preserving our aquatic world is not merely an environmental effort; it is the ultimate foundation for global peace, security, and human continuity.

Part 3: World’s 1st Government + Corporate joined Sea Treaty

For the first time in history, to support the global leaders, decision-makers, and corporations joining the first scalable and verified Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty, we are providing far more than motivation and encouragement. We are delivering an entire, long-term, financially sustainable system.

For governments, this is globally recognized as essential economic and environmental sovereign infrastructure. For corporations, it is a verified ESG reporting framework—one that ensures your economic growth through environmental preservation.

I am proud that through the Ocean Heritage ACT, we have finally closed the sustainability gap between government policies and corporate CSR and ESG programs. In doing so, we eliminate the massive greenwashing policies that inflict direct damage on our oceans and natural resources every single day.

No government, no nation, and no organization can tackle this imminent threat alone. But let us be honest about reality: without a sustainable blue economy model, no one will commit to this task long-term. That is precisely why we are not just asking for your

commitment—we are giving you the actual solutions to make it happen.

Addressing the Leadership of the United Nations

I want to address directly the Secretary-Generals and leaders of our key United Nations organizations: Achim Steiner of UNDP, Inger Andersen of UNEP, Audrey Azoulay of UNESCO, and Sheikha Al-Nowais of UN Tourism.

Most of you have already been reached out to by former UNWTO Secretary-General Dr. Taleb Rifai, who has worked beside me for years to deliver sustainable solutions through the Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty. Together, we have looked closely at past organizational shortcomings and structural weaknesses—not to assign blame, but to turn those lessons into milestones for building the world’s first scalable and verified Sea Treaty.

I deeply hope that OACM can count on your UN organizations and structures to help accelerate the global integration of this Treaty, creating an historic ocean alliance with the real, operational capability to tackle the imminent aquatic threats we face today.

I sincerely and humbly hope that my words, spoken from eight meters beneath the surface on this seabed, are not taken as criticism—but as an extended hand. A hand extended to unite all international structures behind a single, shared planetary interest.

This is not about me, and it is not about any single institution. This is about a greater cause—a cause that transcends our generation and the generations to come. We must have the courage to make the necessary sacrifices today, so that those who follow us actually have a future tomorrow.

“The world doesn’t need more successful people, it needs more environmental entrepreneurs” it needs kind people….

Pope Francis and Leon

The ocean has not been neglected by the Vatican either. I want to express my deep gratitude to the deceased His Holiness Pope Francis for initiating the Laudato Si’ program and his official support for ocean preservation in several occasions in global media.

His Holiness Pope Leon has continued walking in his steps, striving to save all life created on this planet by our Creator.

Now, I humbly ask His Holiness Pope Leo to support the Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty ratification next year in Greece, because this is the last chance we will get. The documents are with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. OACM will reach out to all people of faith and religion, because the ocean connects us all and our mission transcends our and even next generation.

Sea Treaty Global Leaders on 7 continents Leaders & Followers

To all Heads of State, governments, Royal Families, and ministers who have been invited for the ratification of the Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea

Treaty in Greece next year —and especially the owners and directors of big corporate conglomerates, without you this Sea Treaty will not be effective: I urge you to open a new part for mankind, LEAD with courage and valor so others to follow.

In my 25 years of working with decision-makers, I have learned one thing: leadership is not designated for all. There are two types of leaders: those who lead, and those who follow. Today, I am addressing those who lead.

It takes courage today to believe without seeing. It doesn’t take much of anything to follow. The world has never needed strong leaders more than today—those who are willing to create new paths, and be hated and criticised for it.

Progress requires sacrifice. And those who are willing to sacrifice and walk alone will change the world.

The White Flag Series & Future Schedule

Until 2030, we will organize many of these events across the planet, striving to unite, lead, and promote—not only ocean preservation, but peace and solidarity. Beneath the ocean surface, there are no borders, no differences, and no disputes.

We will see you next year in January and February at Lake Geneva on the Lac Léman seabed, and then at the Statue of Liberty Island in New York in August 2027.

Closing Remarks

It has come time for me to leave the seabed and go to my other home: the surface.

On behalf of the island of Krapanj, our 150 inhabitants, and our diplomatic guests from Greece at the surface present, please allow me to extend my deep gratitude to you—the audience and mankind—who will, in the end, be the verification judges of our Ocean Heritage ACT – Sea Treaty.

Let me close with my favorite quote by the legendary Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau:

“People protect what they love.”

I salute you.