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Destination 3° is a unique film about two of the world’s elite female standup paddleboarders, Jenny Kalmbach and Morgan Hoesterey, who recently traversed the three degrees of latitude that separate the Hawaiian Island chain. Inspired by the opportunity of adventure they engaged both mental and physical adversity, and also discovered the devastating effects of pollution along these legendary waterways.

We’ve had the chance to catch up with Jenny and Morgan to ask them a few questions.

What was it like crossing these channels with so much open-ocean in front of you?
It was definitely a bit daunting at the start. We knew how much work had gone into making the adventure happen and were concerned about not being able to complete our goals. That first channel, from Big Island to Maui, is one of the most dangerous in the world and we had been delayed due to extremely bad weather. Our fear was that we wouldn’t make it across the first channel and our journey would start off wrong. Fortunately, that never happened and we made it successfully across that and each channel until we reached Niihau. There are times in each channel when you find yourself in the midway point and look back and realize that you’re just as far away from that island as you are to getting closer to the next island. It suddenly makes you feel so small but at the same time, it can be exhilarating. The most interesting moment was setting out from Oahu to Kauai. Kauai is 82 nautical miles from Oahu and when we started out we couldn’t see the island at all. Looking out over the horizon and seeing nothing but water was a surreal feeling. I remember thinking to myself how strange it was to not be able to see our final destination. We had to trust that the GPS on our boats were leading us in the right direction…and luckily, they were.

Where was it that you first encountered the effects of pollution on your journey?
We saw signs of the plastic contamination throughout our journey but it was on the island of Lanai that it became obvious how big of an issue it is. We were visiting Shipwreck beach on the North side of the island and the entire beach was covered in bits and pieces of plastic… plastic bottles, caps, remnants of balloons, glue sticks, fishing line… it was really sad to see.

We understand that you are raising funds for the Algalita Marine Research Foundation. Who are they & what do they do?
Algalita Marine Research Foundation is non-profit organization whose sole mission is to protect the marine environment. It is the leading research organization studying the prevalence and quantification of plastic debris in the North Pacific Sub-tropical Gyre, and the biological impact of plastics on marine life and the human food chain. The global plastics issue starts on land. Approximately 80% of all debris that winds up in our oceans comes from land-based origins, with only about 20% attributed to sea-related activities. The properties of plastic do not allow for absolute bio-degradation within a human lifetime or even several generations of human life, nor can it dissolve into organic matter that can re-enter the life cycle.

To find out how you can help reduce your own “plastic footprint,” go to www.algalita.org.

What would you most like people to take-away with them after seeing your film?
The most important thing is to first realize that plastic contamination in our oceans is a major problem and it’s not going to simply disappear. We need to all work together to come up with a solution but in the mean time there are things that we can do to lessen the impact. Reducing or stopping the use of plastics bags and plastic bottles is a great start. When you’re heading out of the house, take your reusable bags and make sure to have a reusable water bottle, like the Revolve Tap Water Filtration Bottle!

How can people get the opportunity to see your film?
We are currently showing our film at various film festivals around the US. We have an upcoming screening at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Our film will also be available for purchase in March 2011. For more information check out our Destination 3 Degree facebook page.

Destination 3 Degrees: The Movie from Soul Surf Media on Vimeo.