World Ocean Day, Saturday, June 8th, IOI-SA were honoured to support a community event hosted by Shamier Magmoet and the team at Sea the Bigger Picture and Argonaut Science. Shamier Magmoet shared his thoughts on the significance of such events, stating, “Not too long ago, we were told that we are not allowed to go to this beach or that beach. Because of this, it has remained one of the saddest reasons for why we think ocean spaces are not for us. Today we have a lot of work to reprogram the minds, to access the traumas so we can heal and overcome, so we can come back to reconnect with our ocean spaces, from which we were once removed.”
Open Day Snorkelling was held at Windmill Beach, Cape Town, South Africa, to raise awareness of our Great African Kelp Forest and surrounding rocky shores. The event offered snorkelling lessons to the public, providing many with their first snorkelling experience supported by experienced divers in a safe environment. To ensure everyone could participate in the marine activities, Kirshia Govender, IOI-SA, and team from Aonyx Marine Experiences conducted guided rock pool walks along the shore for both snorkelers and those hesitant to snorkel.
The event was a success, engaged with 105 ocean explorers and provided incredible knowledge about the marine life found underwater and along our rocky shores. It was a beautiful day of communities uniting for the ocean, recognizing the ocean as a safe space for all and highlighted experiential marine education at its finest.
“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.” – Baba Diome
Photos courtesy of Kirsten Frost and Mik Motala
