Sierra Leone – 25 September 2025. This year’s World Maritime Day theme: “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity”, highlights how the ocean provides for us, and in turn, the responsibility we have to care for it. Few stories capture this dynamic better than that of Emmanuel, a 34-year-old Nigerian maritime officer on board the Global Mercy™. For him, the ocean is more than a route for transporting goods; it connects the world. With 40% of the global population living along coastlines, the ocean is vital not only for trade, but also for reaching people in need.