Two groups were put through a variety of lessons – including Re-Think the Shark, Rocky Shores and The Food Web game. Zanele kept up a production line of muffins and juice for hungry tummies.

Lindy Warren
18 October 2009.

As a new member of staff, it was an awesome experience to be educating nearly 300 learners from areas of Cape Town we have not reached before. Save our Seas Shark Centre continues to provide curriculum based, hands -on interactive environmental education to young learners for whom, it was a first encounter. To witness these youngsters from grades 4 – 7, shouting at the top of their voices, ‘Save our Sharks’ and others, carefully holding a starfish, are scenes that remain with you, long after the train has departed. Thanks to all the staff at the SOSSC, especially my fellow colleagues Lindy and Michael.

The City of Cape Town continues to show their commitment to Environmental Education of our marginalized learners through the YES programme and Metrorail’s Chaperone Services played their part in making National Marine Week at Save our Seas Shark Centre a resounding success.

Terry Corr
20 October 2009

From 12th to 16th October, a total of 4 large groups of children visited the Shark Centre. In groups numbering 50 to 60, students of various ages were brought to the centre by the City of Cape Town as part of their Youth Environment School (YES) programme. All groups travelled to Kalk Bay by train and spent three hours with us as part of National Marine Week 2009.

On Saturday 17^th, 39 learners from the Sakunlandela Saturday School arrived, for their Marine Week excursion. This was made possible by sponsorship from SELI and the Cape Town Kite and Windsurfing Club.

In the past 18 months, groups of 60 learners have paid regular visits to the SOS Shark centre. This has been facilitated by the partnership between the SOSSC, The City of Cape Town’s YES programme and Metrorail. We have developed lessons and activities that cater for the needs of these groups and provide them with a fun and educational experience.

We aim to meet the challenges of varying ages, social background, literacy and knowledge levels as well as linking our teaching with the school curriculum. The weather and tides at time ensure we are kept on our toes and we integrate the relevant topical issues.

Emphasis was placed on making learners aware of what they can do to help preserve sharks by looking after the smaller creatures in the food chain; understanding the affects of Pollution and active participation – taking responsibility for their environment.

It is always a pleasure to see these children enjoying themselves and learning about how very important the small creatures are. It is the real message of hope that creates for a great learning adventure.

Michael Carnegie

Andy Starbuck with his baby basking shark at the London Aquarium

For more info, to sign the online petition and to see other European Shark Week events happening around Europe see the website: www.europeansharkweek.org

 These students embarked on the 100th Voyage setting sail in August from Halifax, Nova Scotia,  with 516 undergraduates representing 225 colleges and universities; 30 lifelong learners; and 67 faculty and staff. The around-the-world voyage will last 109 days and explore 11 countries. The SAS is also know as the Institute for Shipboard Education

Lindy addressing the students

The presence of these students was significant to the SOSSC, South Africa and Cape Town and we ensure they had delightful weather for the field trip around the Peninsula. Darryl Colenbrander, working on the Coastal Protection Plan for the City of Cape Town, facilitated the tour, sites including Blouberg, Kalk Bay and Glencairn. These sites are some of those that are included in his project, and are significant to the risk management plans for the City regarding the consequences of Global Warming and Climate Change and the very real impact of sea level rise.

 At the first Stop on Boyes drive, overlooking Muizenberg, the results of the research emanating from the Shark Spotter programme, over the past 5 years of it’s existence, was shared with the group as well as some pertinent questions and answers from Liesel. The weather, being partly cloudy, made spotting difficult as well as the poor water quality – which was not optimal. The status of the day was explained to the students as well as the basis of the methodology used by the spotters. Liesel, a shark spotter for just short of 4 years, wears her colours, responsibility and specialized sunglasses well! 

As they were focusing on Environmental Management in Coastal areas, the stop off point on Boyes Drive gave them a fantastic opportunity to see how waves form and effect of land forms on wave direction. Furthermore, meeting Liesel, the Shark Spotter was a unique oppurtunity to see a successful community based conservation project in action. The students were also treated to the sight of a Southern Right Whale swimming 500m offshore.

Then it was off to the SOS Shark Centre for lunch and a presentation by Lesley Rochat, Executive Director of Education and Awareness SOSSC, detailing the objectives of the Foundation, our Centre and the importance of the projects undertaken by our Centre.

Liesel the Shark Spotter

Then, it was off to the SOS Shark Centre for lunch and a presentation by Lesley Rochat, Executive Director of Education and Awareness SOSSC, detailing the objectives of the Foundation, our Centre and the importance of the projects undertaken by our Centre.

The students were in awe of the work that is presently underway at the Save our Seas Shark Centre. On visiting the rocky beach at Dalebrook following the talk, some commented on how similar the marine organisms and kelp were to those found in parts of California.

 I do love this job, and the opportunity to share with others; the knowing and those that have no insight, of how much we have to do and the stringent time lines within which we need to act.

 Thank you to the City of Cape Town for this opportunity to do just what we need to do  – Educate and create an awareness!

 Viva the Shark Spotters, Viva

 Lindy Warren

8 October 2009.

The Cool Seas Roadshow in action

SOSF and the Marine Conservation Society have teamed up for European Shark Week 09 to present a unique installment of the Cool Seas Roadshow entitled “Give Sharks A Break.” The event runs over 2 days at the Sea Life London Aquarium from Wednesday 14 October to Thursday 15 October. School groups and adults can discover a bit more about these fantastic creatures, and about the threats they face from overfishing and other human impacts on their marine environment. You’ll even have the chance to meet a baby Basking Shark or gaze at the unbelievable Scalloped Hammerhead!

Since September 2006, the Roadshow has been touring primary/junior schools throughout the UK. Presenter Andy Starbuck thrills pupils and teachers alike when he introduces his life-size, inflatable whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, seals and porpoises. Through a series of activities with volunteers from the audience, Andy explains the threats our marine wildlife face and how we can all act to protect these amazing creatures.

If you can’t make any of the European Shark Week events you can still be involved by signing the online petition and by sending an ecard to others to let them know about the week. Also for those who like drawing and colouring there’s a great competition happening. For more info and other events happening around Europe see the website: www.europeansharkweek.org

For school bookings please visit the Sea Life London Aquarium website.

Why did we film this? Well, our shark episode is about, of course, sharks. And while we try to solve the riddle in our movie, we get help from these children who attended a week long “shark camp”.

Sanibel Sea School Sign

Sanibel Sea School features week-long camps of various topics during the summer (manatee week, sea turtle week, horseshoe crab week, plankton week, etc.), and we were fortunate that the school invited us to spend time with them during shark week.
What exactly did kids do during shark week?

Well, they made shark-based art projects, like a large puzzle-piece bull shark. They played shark jeopardy. They conducted a “shark attack” where they visited local businesses and used chalk to draw shark facts and images on sidewalks. They snorkeled and surfed and had paddle races.

They even tried to save two young black-tip sharks that were caught in a commercial fishing net. Bruce Neill, the school’s founder, tried for hours to save the black-tip sharks that a fisherman found in his bycatch. He held them under running water to get oxygen through their gills, but unfortunately, the sharks were too far gone. As a result, the kids were able to see  shark dissection (at least the sharks went to good use). Have you ever seen how big a shark liver is? Trust me, it’s amazing.

Shark Dissection

My highlight was filming the whale shark on the beach. We spent several days with the school’s staff, scheming about how to build the whale shark. Bruce Neill kept consulting shark guides and measuring textbook drawings with his calipers, so that we would be sure to build the whale shark and its fins to scale. We originally wanted to build a full grown 50 foot shark, but that would make the shark way too tall to conceivably build it out of sand in just a couple hours. So it ended up being a smaller, 40 foot shark . . . the kids used dark seaweed collected from the beach to create the shark’s skin. Then they used globs of sand to create the spots. Finally, they collected white shells to create the gills.  I am incredibly thrilled with the footage we got during the week, and I think it is going to be a great addition to the shark episode.

Noordhoek Montessori Pre-School visits the centre

Schools and learner groups, such as the Plumstead Cubs that visited us recently, approach us independently, and to date this year, we have had over 1000 children visit us. All our efforts and marketing ideas are paying off and we are very proud of the feedback received from schools. It gives us great pleasure to see, for example, that the Fish Hoek Primary School has successfully incorporated lessons and activities from the Shark Handbook that every visiting receives as a gift. If schools or parents would like their learners/children to visit the centre in groups, please contact Verona or Lindy on 021 788 4778.

Participants gather on the beach for a quick photo

The programme is made up of a lesson on sharks, a rock ecology lesson and the viewing of the documentary about a raggedtooth shark, Maxine, titled “Maxine’s Journey”.  Over the months the whole team perfected this programme and final touches included a wonderful shark song about a shark family, by Paul Arends of the City of Cape Town.

Our thanks and gratitude to Lindie Buirski of City of Cape Town and her team, especially Paul, as well as thanks to Metro Rail, not forgetting the staff of SOSSC and Michael Carnegie for teaching such fun rock ecology lessons, the highlight of the learners time spent with us.

The Shark Centre has also now received confirmation of the City Of Cape Town’s commitment for 2009/2010 to provide funding for 15 schools to visit the Centre via their YES programme. This programme is the collaboration of Our City, Metrorail and the Shark Centre and learners delight in the trip to Kalk Bay on the EDU-TRAIN, a lesson on sharks and time spent on Dalebrook Beach. Please refer all enquiries to Verona or Lindy on 021 788 4778 or Paul on 021 487 2567.