Pupils from a Mitchell’s Plain primary school visited Muizenberg Beach where they met Shark Spotters and learnt about the marine environment and how to protect it.
Westville Primary School’s ecological club took part in a series of activities at Surfers Corner, as part of an education programme for National Marine Month in October.
According to Shark Spotters education manager Taryn Van Neel, it was a great opportunity for the pupils to learn about the coastal ecosystem, the oceans, human actions on the ocean, and how damaging effects on the ocean affect human health, recreation, and the economy.
“A strong emphasis was placed on active participation throughout the day, and it was specifically designed to support pupils and teachers to be able to create meaningful relationships with their coastal environment,” Ms Van Neel said.
Shark Spotters joined forces with the various City departments, NSRI Station 16 and the Save our Seas Foundation – Shark Education Centre to run the programme.
The pupils picked up litter from the beach and learnt about the importance of keeping storm drains clean, marine pollution and the benefits of a beach earning Blue Flag status.
Sam Rorwana, from the NSRI, spoke to the children about drowning, beach safety and what to do if caught in a rip current. He also showed them how to perform CPR.
“Learning about beach safety is important. We spoke about reading hazards and knowing where to swim safely, the importance of swimming in between the lifeguard flags, and not swimming without adult supervision,” Mr Rorwana told the Echo.
