Annie Anderson
Annie is a huge supporter and defender of Sharks. Naturally we thought she might be interested in our shoes too. Luckily we were right. She loves to travel and our Kicks are perfect travel shoes. We're super excited to have Annie as part of the the Blu Kicks family. Be sure to check out Annie's Blog: Sharks Need Love, and her twitter and Facebook page to keep up to date on all her efforts for saving and protecting the sharks!
Give us some background on what you do I'm a fiery, 5'6" Redheaded British woman with a somewhat unhealthy love for sharks! Sharks have been part of my life for as long as I can remember and I've been fortunate enough to dive with a variety of species around the world. From breathtaking waters of Bornero to Dubai, Oman, Cuba, Bahamas, Florida, Thailand, to the stunning Maldives, The Philippines, Egypt and beyond! Observing, diving, handling, photographing and fighting for our sharks survival is what I'm all about!
Your Ideal “Playing Hookie Day”? My ideal day would be waking at 8am, having an English tea (milk, two sugars) with two slices of brown toast and butter followed by a brief walk in the sun to a docked, clean boat full of dive gear and equipment. I would then be greeted by Jacque Cousteau, William Winram, Elvis and Eminem for a day free diving in crystal clear, tropical warm waters with Scalloped Hammerheads, schooling Barracuda, the odd Orca, a 4m Greenland shark, a 200+ wall of cuttlefish and various other sharks, rays, fish and mammals! – Come on you did say IDEAL hookie day right?
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Never make the assumption that you can work hard now to buy yourself free time later down the line. Do everything you’ve dreamt of while you can, take risks and live for the moment because nothing is guaranteed, including more time.
What’s your favorite beach/seaside town? My favourite seaside destination has to be Torquay in Devon, England. It’s a historic English town where you can buy sustainable, delicious, locally caught fish and chips as you stroll around the local harbour being coated in the warm colours of a sunset. The wonderfully untouched English Riviera of the south never disappoints.
What is your best travel tip? I could write a whole blog on travel tips as I LOVE to travel! But if I’m only allowed one then I’d say STOP at least once a day, at the same time (set an alarm) to reflect on what you’ve experienced over the last 24hrs. Appreciate the moments you’ve had and relive any that have made you feel alive! Reflect on your experiences, perhaps the strange food you’ve eaten, the weather, the buildings, the roads, the history, the smells, the people, the faces, the language, and those magical, unforgettable moments. You may never return so relive the past 24hrs if only for a few minutes.
If you were a fish what one would you be? Why? Well ‘technically’ sharks aren’t fish, however as most people call them fish I’ll make an exception in this instance! So, if I were a fish I would be a Great Hammerhead shark. Hammerheads have a huge home range and migrate vast distances. With this in mind I would be a Hammerhead so I could swim around warning others of our alarming IUCN status (Endangered) and dish out advice to avoid humans, fishing lines and easy meals (which may possess hidden hooks) at all costs! With approximately 100 million sharks being killed every year we must do all we can to help them!