Lindsay Kruger recently graduated from Stellenbosch University and is currently working for a travel company in Newlands. She and her brother, Graeme, completed the Two Oceans Aquarium volunteer course together and - while Graeme is happy to stay front-of-house for now - Lindsay hopes to gather her volunteering hours and eventually work behind-the-scenes with her favourite animal: the penguin.
“Some say Disney World is the happiest place on earth, but I say it’s the Two Oceans Aquarium.”
This was the opening line I used in my application to sign up to be a volunteer at Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium, and it’s a statement that still holds true for me after nearly two months of Two Oceans learning, training and testing!
Our journey began on 30 January when a group of roughly 50 volunteers gathered at the I&J Predator Exhibit. In all my years of studying, I’ve never found myself amongst such an assorted group of students! Students and mothers, locals and Brits, working professionals and full-time volunteers all came together with a shared passion for the Aquarium and our marine ecosystem.
During the first weeks we were finding our fins while soaking in all the course knowledge, like real sea sponges.
A particular favourite from this time was the “kelp holdfast activity”, where each table is given a kelp holdfast (a root-like structure at the bottom of kelp) and asked to extract (literally, with a pair of tweezers) whatever animal we could find. Crabs, sea spiders, tiny shrimps and sea worms abounded. We got down and dirty examining, identifying and marvelling at an array of sea life.
Following this exciting kelp holdfast activity, we hit week four, which was a favourite for many volunteers! Starting nice and early on an overcast morning at Mouille Point, we took our marine knowledge to the real-life rocky shores.
A good hour was spent heading out at low tide to use our new-found knowledge for identifying the abundant plant and animal life found there. It was incredibly that – after just three weeks – I could look at the shores in a completely different way!
A piece of kelp wasn’t just a piece of kelp anymore, but represented a chemical that is used in clarifying wine (seriously, we learnt so much).
During our weeks of training we had written assessments every morning and, by week five, we hit the dreaded oral assessments. With our fellow classmates as tourist guinea pigs, we had to simulate an experience at the Touch Pool; something that we’d be qualified for in just three weeks. Luckily our invigilators were really nice and very lenient with any nervous stutters or accidental sea-star-out-of-water mishaps!
With that being said, I need to give special acknowledgement to our “leaders” during this course. Bianca [Engel], Xavier [Zylstra] and Katja [Rockstroh] [from the Environmental Education Centre] are not only great teachers. As true Two Oceans ambassadors who really care about our oceans and the Aquarium, they delivered training with such passion and pride that you’ll never look at the ocean the same way again.
While there were many, many memorable moments these past weeks of training, one thing that will always stand out in mind will be our incredible “sea-chers”.
They say that as much as 95% of the world’s ocean remains undiscovered. Being a Two Oceans Aquarium volunteer opens your eyes to but a glimpse of what is out there; but it’s a glimpse not to be missed! If you’ve ever had an interest in marine life, saving our ecosystem, or just love learning new things in a highly interactive way and surrounded by great people, then I would seriously suggest signing up to be a volunteer at the Two Oceans Aquarium.
It is, after all, the happiest place on earth …
