Marine Month Competition Winners 2017
November 20, 2017 Dyer Island Conservation Trust
Marine Dynamics & Dyer Island Cruises together with their environmental project, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, and with the support of conservation partner, the Overstrand Municipality, held a competition with the schools in the Cape Whale Coast area – from Kleinmond to Gansbaai – to celebrate national marine month. Marine Month held every October is a national campaign to raise awareness of the importance of our oceans.
The competition comprises of three categories for the various age groups that include colouring in, poetry and an essay or short film. Pinkey Ngewu from the Dyer Island Conservation Trust visited schools in the Overstrand area during the month of September to inform learners about the competition. The main objectives are education and awareness to students about the ocean systems, our MARINE ENVIRONMENT and the MARINE BIG 5. In the process, the team hopes to inspire the youth to take care of our oceans and our environment. Dyer Island Cruises sponsored a boat trip for the top 30 winners to provide the opportunity to see first-hand the unique Dyer Island ecosystem right on their doorstep. The group of winners headed out on Dream Catcher for a whale watching tour. To the delight of the group, the southern right whales were just outside Kleinbaai harbour. Also on this one we spotted the whale just shortly after launching from the harbour in Kleinbaai. After spending a little while with the whales the group headed past the shark cage diving boats, the Cape Fur seal colony on Geyser Rock and were awed at the variety of seabirds around Dyer Island.
Winners of the 2017 Marine Month competition:
Category 1: Colouring
1st Linamandla Loloni from Masakhane Primary School
2nd Nina Strydom from Laerskool Gansbaai
3rd Rachel Horn from Okkie Smuts Primary
Highly Commended:
Mia Lindes
Gabriella Hogan
Cayleb Jenson
Emma Privett
Joy Booysen
Naomi Mão-Chieu
Joanna Burmann
Glenwill Beyers
Hellen Ackermann
Sinothando Zenzile
Onikayo Npengu
Merichen May
Category 2: Poetry
1st Daniel Cornell from Curro
2nd Tsoanelo Haarhof from Gansbaai Primêr
3rd Lara Strydom from Laerskool Gansbaai
Highly Commended:
Athulile Shumane
Lukhanyo Ndulumbano
Andre Geerdts
Milethea Daniels
Oliver Winfield
Casandra Saayman
Jake Van Gemert
Category 3: Essay
1st Aimelize Geerdts from Gansbaai Academia
2nd Jordan Linehan from Gansbaai Academia
3rd Zikhona Ntlahla from Gansbaai Academia
Highly Commended:
Lerato Hermanus
Odwa Mntukaziwa
Caitlin van Eeden
The marine month competition in partnership with the Overstrand Municipality and sponsored by Dyer Island Cruises , the Department of Environmental Affairs & DP .
