People: Donna Wallis Corey

DONNA WALLIS COREY: SAVE THE MANATEE

Columbus thought it was a mermaid. Indeed, the manatee, a sea mammal that thrives in Caribbean waters, is charming and lovable. 'Unfortunately,' says Donna Wallis Corey, M.A. '69, an artist, underwater filmmaker and scuba diving instructor from Crystal River, FL, 'they are an endangered species.'

To help preserve the species, Corey has authored a book, Manatee: A First Book (Sundiver Productions Co., 1992) and founded The Star Thrower Foundation to help stem the tide. 'When the last individual of a race of living things breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again,' she likes to quote author William Beebe. 'Manatees are the most gentle of all earth's creatures,' she says with passion. 'I've logged thousands of hours with them. They're big, gentle, very curious and playful. They are very social, always congregate in family groups. They live and let live--no fighting, no wars. They have no enemies and are very sensitive creatures, always touching each other.'

Why are they endangered? Partly, says Donna, weather changes, and partly that time-honored villain--human beings. 'The Stellar's Sea Cow in the Behring Straights has already been extinct because fur trappers liked them,' Donna explains. 'Here we have laws against poaching, but still, it happens. And sometimes boaters run into them. Some, out of malice, will carve their initials on them.'

A native of Battle Creek, Donna studied art at MSU, then taught school for several years until she discovered scuba diving in 1985. Since then, she has been in love with the underwater filming and other aquatic endeavors. 'I hope,' she says, 'my work will encourage others to explore the manatee's world and be moved by its gentleness.'