Speaking from aboard his tourist vessel DISCOVERY, Captain Manolis Rizos from Lipsi shares his lifelong bond with the sea, a passion he’s nurtured since childhood. His journey begins in Rhodes and continues to Symi, part of a life dedicated to Greece’s remote island communities.
“I used to run a route with my boat connecting Leros, Lipsi, Kalymnos, Agathonisi, Farmakonisi, and Arki,” he recalls. “It was designated a postal line and received subsidies. I’ve seen and experienced so much along that route—fighting to keep these tiny islands alive and Greek.”
Captain Manolis also reflects on broader challenges:
“Rhodes is like a tourism factory for Greece and its economy—and we’re all working in it. But we must act on climate change and rising temperatures. Young people aren’t going into shipping anymore. There’s a shortage of crew to man our boats and keep them running.”
And with heartfelt simplicity, he concludes: “The sea is my life. And Lipsi—that’s my love, my great passion.”
Produced and presented by Antonis Karagiannakis