On Friday, 6 August, the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS), together with Marine Dynamics and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT), had the privilege of welcoming a very special group of visitors to Gansbaai.
Mispah learners exploring APSS.
Several weeks earlier, teacher Berryl Hess contacted the Trust to arrange a visit for 30 learners from Mispah School for Learners with Special Educational Needs in Elim. Situated in the picturesque town of Elim, Mispah provides education and care for children with special educational needs from across the Western Cape, with many of the learners residing in the school’s hostel.
The learners had a long list of things they wanted to see and learn about. They wanted to visit the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, learn more about the Marine Big 5 – African penguins, Cape fur seals, sharks, whales and dolphins – see the skeleton of Susy, the Southern Right Whale, at the Great White House Restaurant, and even get a behind-the-scenes look at the Marine Dynamics boat engines.
And what a morning it turned out to be.
“Our team was incredibly touched by this group,” says Christine Wessels, Assistant to Wilfred Chivell, CEO of Marine Dynamics and Founder of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. “The love, care and dedication of the teachers towards these learners was truly heart-warming to witness. There was such excitement and curiosity from the children, and they had so many questions.”
At the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, the learners met the permanent penguin residents and learned about the rescue and rehabilitation work of the sanctuary. Xolani Lawu and Asiphe Mqwai from the APSS team shared their knowledge, answered questions and, of course, gave plenty of hugs.
Dr Loraine Shuttleworth, Head of Research at DICT, also shared some of the wonders of whales with the group. She explained just how enormous these animals are and spoke about how whale calves feed from their mothers – a fact that even some of the teachers found surprising.
The learners were then able to see Susy, the Southern Right Whale skeleton at the Great White House Restaurant, giving them a very real sense of the enormous size of a whale. Their visit also included a look at the Marine Dynamics vessels and engines, satisfying their curiosity about what goes into getting people safely out onto the ocean.
Elim’s Conservation Heroes
Perhaps the most meaningful part of the morning was when the learners took a conservation pledge to become Elim Heroes for Conservation.
They pledged to pick up rubbish, even when it was not their own, and to help prevent animals and marine creatures from suffering because of plastic pollution and other human impacts on the environment.
To make the day even more special, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust sponsored a lunch for every learner, teacher and bus driver, generously prepared by the Great White House Restaurant.
“We were so grateful to spend the morning with the Mispah learners and their teachers,” says Wessels. “They reminded us that conservation is not only about research and science. It is also about creating connections, sharing knowledge and giving people the opportunity to care. We hope that their visit to Gansbaai will stay with them for a long time – and that our new Elim Heroes will continue to spread that message wherever they go.”
The team at APSS, Marine Dynamics and DICT would like to thank the teachers and learners of Mispah School for making the day so memorable. It was our privilege to welcome you to Gansbaai and to share a little of the extraordinary marine world on our doorstep.
The ocean belongs to all of us – and protecting it starts with helping people understand what is beneath its surface.
