Curiosity, Community and Conservation Come Together at Plett Ocean Festival
Plettenberg Bay, South Africa – The stage was set, the weather was perfect, and festival-goers were treated to ten days of ocean-themed fun in Plettenberg Bay at the third Plett Ocean Festival and Marine Science Symposium.
More than the symposium, more than a series of enjoyable coastal adventures, the Plett Ocean Festival is a celebration of the ocean that fosters a deep love for its wonders, in visitors and the local community. By sparking curiosity and fun, the festival aims to empower a new generation of ocean stewards.
Conservation Conversations at the Marine Science Symposium
The format of the three-day Marine Science Symposium was adjusted this year to enable three speakers per session followed by a sit-down Q & A session with the speakers. The format proved popular and encouraged discussion and lively debate around conservation issues. The interaction between the speakers and symposium MC, Zandile Ndhlovu, was entertaining and enlightening.
Ndhlovu, known globally as The Black Mermaid, has hosted the symposium since its launch in 2022 and festival is privileged to have her support as her career as a freediver, filmmaker, speaker, and advocate for inclusivity continues to attract international attention. In fact, she was included in the BBC 100 Women List for 2023 alongside Michelle Obama and many other admirable individuals.
Zandile says of the symposium: “I love the ocean, and I love the complexity between science, community spaces, the human experience and ethics – this makes for curiously robust discussions, all the while answering the million and one questions I always have in my head.” The symposium is aimed at all ocean lovers, with topics covering orcas, sharks, estuaries, birds, local reefs and more to provide a bridge between scientific research and the casual, interested, ocean user.
Festival director, Cindy Wilson Trollip sums it up: “We are privileged to be hosting scientists of the highest calibre and dedication at the symposium again this year, and so pleased to be making their incredible knowledge and research accessible to the general public, as well as fellow academics.”
Sparking Curiosity in Young Minds
Following the symposium, Zandile continued to make an impact in Plett as she conducted her third annual Plett Underwater Workshop in partnership with local NPO, Adopt A Swimmer. The aim of the workshop is to foster a sense of wonder in the marine environment while introducing young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to this new and wonderful world.
The workshop was an enormous success: the youngsters explored the shoreline, learned about sharks and conservation, donned wetsuits, masks and snorkels and, with encouragement from their mermaid, took to the water of the Keurbooms Lagoon with participation from CapeNature, Plett Shark Spotters and Learn to Surf Plett. Again, the weather was perfect and the children were enabled to run, explore, swim, ask questions and stoke their enthusiasm in a safe environment.
New on the programme this year was the Plett Ocean Aweh-Ness Hub, featuring Kids’ Club – an enriching initiative partnered and sponsored by Checkers – aimed at immersing the young people of Plett in the importance, fascination and possibilities of our oceans and coastline – a sustainable Blue Economy.
The Plett Ocean Aweh-Ness Hub was situated at the Plett Surf Club on Central Beach and the Kids’ Club was a collaboration between Adopt A Surfer and Plett Shark Spotters, made possible with a generous sponsorship from Checkers. The buzzing central hub was visited by 40 children per day from Kwanokuthula, Qolweni, Bossiespif and Pine Trees, New Horizons, Wittedrift and Kranshoek who were introduced to an ocean-themed world of stories, games, arts and skill-building.
Their eagerness to learn, curiosity about the environment and the smiles on their faces as they enjoyed their lunch overlooking Central Beach is a shining example of the potential of each generation to make a positive change for our planet. The daily transport was kindly supplied by local textile company, Mungo.
As South Africa’s Youth Month of June drew to a close, the Plett Ocean Festival enabled many young people to look forward with optimism, encouraged to become involved in conservation and preserving our natural marine environment.
Outdoors, Exploration and Citizen Science
As the Plett Ocean Festival grows, more exciting events pop-up to swell the calendar and make Plett an attractive winter destination. This year, the festival presented a range of excursions including the popular Rocky Shore Excursion, Shark Egg-Case Hunt and Pelagic Birding Trip in addition to a deep sea fishing competition, reef cleanup and introduction to scuba diving, fun run, marine safari excursions and coastal birding. Plett Tourism is thrilled to have had the Reef Wedge Classic Surfing and Bodyboarding Competition return to our shores and, as expected, the competition provided some thrilling surf action.
The film and arts communities were also represented with a popular ocean-themed art exhibition on Robberg, a Plett Food & Film screening of Wild Coast Warriors at the Fat Fish and a children’s art workshop at Sky Villa Gallery. There is no end to where this festival will go – keeping in mind the strong environmental theme of Observe.Conserve.Preserve.
“To all researchers, educators, filmmakers, citizen scientists and ocean-lovers, we are focusing on positioning the town and the Plett Ocean Festival on the global map, as a destination for marine science conversations, a meeting place for like minds, and space to enjoy a very unique stretch of coastline,” says Plett Tourism CEO, Patty Butterworth. “As an accredited Whale Heritage Area, a marine Hope Spot, as a destination in the heart of the Garden Route National Park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve edged by two Marine Protected Areas – one would be hard pressed to find a more ideal location for research and the real world to meet. Brand Plett is aligned with conservation, it’s aligned with family fun, aligned with quality excursions and activities and our vision is to create a single, inclusive sustainable Blue Economy for Plett.”
