Father's Day

            Fortunately we live in an age with the technology to communicate across oceans and as a result I was able to wish my dad an early Father’s Day via video chat on Friday. But yesterday, as I sat on the beach watching the beautiful, green, rolling waves of Walker Bay in the fading sun light – I remembered that my dad is the one who first encouraged me to look into becoming a marine biologist. Some of my favorite summer memories are the ones of going down to the Gulf of Mexico with my family. I remember waking up early, packing all the fishing gear into the pickup, mom fixing a basket full of sandwiches and chips, and trying to find a bottle of sun block that wasn’t passed the expiration date. Not only did we skillfully avoid having any smelly fish to clean when we came home but, more importantly, we always learned something new about the coastal area and gained a new appreciation of the importance of the ecosystem found there. All thanks to my dad's love and knowledge of the natural landscape.

I’ve been to the coast of Oregon, North Carolina, and now South Africa. But as spectacular as these beaches are, each in their own beautiful way, I will always love the sand of Crystal Beach. It was a special moment to me, sitting on the beach with my dad, looking out at the water, and recognizing the passion that would propel my career.

The color of the water, the type of shells, and the way the waves roll all change, but the energy of the ocean stays the same. Just as the miles may be great, the time may be in different zones, but the love between a father and daughter will never fade!

Hard at work in the salty air

On Friday we shut down our input water pump so we could clean out the filter and when we tried to prime the pipe and start the pump again - it wouldn't start. Disaster.
We spent several hours working on the problem Friday (and hauled about 30 5 gallon buckets full of seawater) until we ran out of time and had to go to another World Oceans Day event. We returned on Saturday morning with reinforcements and tried again. The guys braved the cold water to fix the no-return valve at the intake end of the pipe, working for several hours before being able to clear it of debris and reattaching all the pieces.
We returned this am and tried to prime again - to no avail. We have spend most of the day working on it again and are still not able to maintain enough water in the pipe to allow the pump to activate. Ever optimistic, we continue to try new ideas and will prevail! :D (hopefully!)

This is a panoramic view of the Old Harbor. The building in the left of the photo is the SASC office! ;)

World Oceans Day

Results from my daily walk on the beach:

World Oceans Day - June 8th

This Wednesday, June 8th, the South African Shark Conservancy will be participating in an international celebration of our planets greatest resource: the Ocean. 

We are inviting local schools and kids of all ages to join us in the second annual World Oceans Day Parade which will start at Swallow Park, go up Marine Drive, and end at the Old Harbour Museum. At the museum, the group will be addressed by the major of Hermanus! 

So, Wear Blue- Tell Two and come join us for a day of fun celebrating our passion for our ocean!



The SASC not only participates in the organizing of community events such as the one I describe above, but we also provide tours to those interested in learning more about sharks, the marine environment, and conservancy in general. This morning we hosted a lovely group of school children and here are some of the photos:

Activities to inspire thought.

 

Busy at work on posters with interesting "ocean facts"

The kids got a chance to touch our friendly Puffadder Shyshark, a species endemic to South Africa.

Tamzyn showing the kids our touch tank - She's holding shark egg casings!

Fascination continued at the touch tank with learning about our sea urchin.

JUMPER 49

If you ever drive along the Garden Route in South Africa, you will pass over the Bloukrans Bridge. This is a beautiful bridge which offers a spectacular view of the mountains on one side and a glimpse of the ocean on the other. They also hold the Guinness World Record for the highest bungee jump from a bridge (216m)… :)

 

All four of the Maxwell kids have gone skydiving and this seemed like the reasonable next step for the three vacationing together in SA. I’m not saying it wasn’t extremely unnerving to be standing on the edge of a bridge with only a little harness and a long rope (how do these “bungee” things work anyhow?) attached to your legs preventing you from meeting a rather sudden stop – but then again, at least the view was somewhat distracting!  I will not even attempt to explain how amazing, outstanding, fantastic, exhilarating it feels to step off into thin air and, for a moment, fly! You’ll have to go do it for yourself. *Wink* Then when you come up to me with that silly look on your face, I won’t have to ask what you thought because I already know. 

Once you have faced something so incredibly terrifying and still managed to go for it in spite of your fear, you gain a little more confidence in what you are capable of withstanding. Kind of makes a good analogy for life, doesn’t it? How many times will you stand on the precipice and have to make a decision; One- give in to the fear and wonder for the rest of your life if you could have made it, or B - push yourself beyond the edge to allow yourself the opportunity to fly. Of course, option III is why they make you sign those safety waivers! Hehehe, just don’t think about that when they count down:   5 – 4 – 3 – 2 - BUNGEE!!!

Internship: Day One

Here I am! Sitting in the SASC office, the early morning sun streaming through the open door, and the sound of the waves rushing against the rocks filling my ears with a sweet lullaby... can you tell I'm having fun? heeheehee

So far, I love everything about Hermanus! It is a beautiful place with the mountains coming right down to the shore, rocky cliffs made for perfect pictures, and beautiful beaches. When I'm not busy cleaning fish tanks and playing with sharks, I'm hoping to get some good time in practicing my photography.


Just a short note this morning since we are about to have a meeting and get started with putting me to work :D
but here is a photo from the walk on the beach yesterday afternoon: