He stood in the ocean, only three feet below and put his face in the water. To his surprise, a crab greeted him by waving back. At the age of seven, the love affair would begin, as Robert “Snorkel Bob” Wintner admired the marine life and would dedicate his life to protecting it.
Conserving the delicate environment of the coral reef is a daunting task. With so many environmental factors and the slow rate of legislative action it is difficult to stay committed to a cause for so long.
A noble task for anyone, Wintner remarked, “It’s the only thing I’ve found that can displace that feeling of frustration and helplessness.” Defying the norm, Wintner fought to continue to pursue his passion despite the intricacy of the problem.

Due to the interconnected nature of coral reef protection, Wintner also spoke of the importance of defining smaller problems in the larger picture, “if you take on two, or three or five you will be ineffective in all of them” commented Wintner. “You have to realize that it might take six weeks, six months or 60 years,” he added, urging individuals to stay loyal and be willing to accept early failures.

Wintner instructed individuals to follow their passions and be patient in finding their calling. “You have to go in expecting no results. You have to go in for love,” said Wintner. He described himself as “late” in transforming his passion into a career. While at a young age, he was fascinated with aquatic environments; it would take years for him to realize a method to fulfill his dreams.

While Wintner has developed his zeal for coral protection and pursued his venture as both a conservation effort and a business entitled Snorkel Bob that funded his environmental endeavors, he still admits to his weaknesses. “I have a bad habit of telling the truth when I shouldn’t,” remarked Wintner.

When engaging with opponents, his brash vocabulary offended some and led to several tense situations. In a meeting, Wintner spoke of the aquarium industry as “evil” and later found that Linda Smith, Chief Policy Maker for Governor Linda Lingle, worked in that field. While the conversation was tense, it helped in revealing in his opinion, her true motivation.

When contacted by TalonWP.com, Linda Smith was not available for comment.

Wintner’s fearless attitude has entangled him in complex situations, yet sometimes circumstances such as these can provide the necessary boost to perpetuate a cause. In regards to the Gulf oil spill, Wintner said, “I knew it was a momentous event from the second day. The gulf will be rendered a dead sea. If there is any benefit I think it will be in bringing awareness to the situation. I think it shows British Petroleum (BP) in a very true light. It touches a nerve. It pains so many individuals.“

Robert Wintner found a calling at an early age and pursued it relentlessly. Over time he learned to overcome obstacles and accept failures along the way. He understands the monumental scale of the work he is trying to accomplish in reversing the damage to the delicate coral reef ecosystems. Wintner jovially remarked, “That’s just the nature of conservation work.”