The future of our ocean lives in the hearts and imaginations of young people — and this year, those voices rose proudly across the Overstrand. The 2025 Marine Month School Art Competition, hosted by the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) in partnership with Marine Dynamics, once again ignited creativity, curiosity, and conservation awareness among learners aged 10 to 13.
Finalists in Marine Month Competition
As the only competition of its kind in the region, this initiative encourages learners not simply to create art, but to become ambassadors for the ocean. Under the theme “Celebrating Our Ocean – Inspiring Young Voices for Marine Conservation,” learners explored the beauty of our marine world and the urgency to protect it.
Three Categories. One Mission: Protect Our Ocean.
Category 1: Penguin Portraits – An Art Tribute to a Species in Peril
Learners created artworks celebrating the Critically Endangered African Penguin, a species whose survival depends on collective action. Freehand sketches, paintings, and collages highlighted the penguin’s vulnerability and importance to our ecosystem.
Winner:
Jayden Makoti (Grade 7), Mount Pleasant Primary School
Winner Jayden Makoti
Category 2: I Hear a Whisper in the Waves – Poetry from the Heart of the Ocean
Poetry became a voice for the sea, with young writers expressing how they see, feel, and even “hear” the ocean. These personal reflections highlight the emotional and cultural connection between children and the marine world.
Winner:
Emily Roos, Generation Schools Hermanus
Winner Emily Roos
Category 3: Ocean Safe Pledge – A Promise in Poster Form
This powerful group category turned ocean advocacy into actionable commitments. Groups of learners designed pledge posters filled with creative infographics — each one a promise to reduce plastic waste and protect marine life.
Winners:
Creative Skills Centre Masakhane
Learners:
Anothando Madwayi, Mihande Dlova, Liyema Jayiya, Siphosethu Lehanya, Khayane Nojcobashe, Olothando Velembo, and Azde Jordaan.
A Celebration of Talent and Conservation
A heart-warming prize-giving ceremony took place at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) on Saturday, 6 December, attended by proud parents, teachers, principals, siblings, and all finalists. Learners had the opportunity to learn more about the plight of the African Penguin and how conservation plays a vital role in securing its future.
Friend of Marine Dynamics and the Dyer Island Cosnervation Trust – Renée Bonorchis, founder of The Ocean Advocate, a South African ocean literacy organisation that promotes marine education through storytelling, especially came through from Cape Town, to attend the Marine Month Competition Exhibition and Ceremony.
Ocean Advocate Renee Bonorchis
After receiving certificates and presenting their artwork or pledges to the audience, the finalists and their families were treated to an unforgettable Marine Big 5 Eco-Tour with Marine Dynamics — a once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet the animals they are helping to protect: sharks, whales, dolphins, seals, and penguins.
Finalist Michael John Fick
“Our goal is to connect young people to the ocean. Earlier this year we sponsored 500 tickets for Overstrand learners to watch David Attenborough’s Ocean at the Road House Cinema in Hermanus. The feedback from learners and educators was incredible; they were deeply moved by what is happening in our oceans. Through this competition and our Dyer Island Conservation Trust initiatives, we actively get learners involved in doing something to protect our oceans.”
— Wilfred Chivell, CEO of Marine Dynamics and Founder of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust
Looking to 2026: Growing a Wave of Young Ocean Guardians
This competition is one of a kind in the Overstrand — a platform where education, art, and conservation come together with real purpose. DICT and Marine Dynamics look forward to welcoming even more schools in 2026, expanding marine awareness and strengthening the local movement for ocean protection.
Because when young people understand the ocean, they protect it. And when they protect it, they protect our future.
Bosko Christian School Winners and Finalists
Artwork and poems can be viewed until end of December 2025 at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, open daily from 9:00 – 16:00. Entrance is free.
If you, your school, or your organisation would like to be part of this wave of ocean advocates, please email:
[email protected] (Christine Wessels, Personal Assistant to CEO, Wilfred Chivell)
[email protected] (Sandiselwe Mabani, Head of Educational Programmes)
