The Ocean Tribe Hangout
By Zandile Ndhlovu
The Ocean Tribe HangoutAug 19, 2021
Ep.18 : The Environmental Journalist - Martina Álvarez AKA OceanoMartina
Martina is an environmental journalist, scuba diver instructor & shark conservationist. Her purpose is to create awareness about the ocean and its marine life through storytelling.
She has also developed an environmental & educational program called women of the ocean in Panama, to connect the indigenous women to the sea, that expands into an online platform where women share their ocean knowledge, inspire and support each other.
Her film, Missing Sharks, is a journalistic investigation about shark hunting in Panama to create awareness about the need of them in the ocean, we chat a little about this too! Do enjoy! Find her on social media : @oceanomartina
Ep.17 : The Underwater Archeologist - Dr Keneiloe Molopyane
Dr Keneiloe Molopyane is a Post Doctoral Research fellow at The centre for the exploration of the Deep Human Journey, she is an archeologist who has also done underwater archeology work in researching the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade closer to our shoes, here in Cape Town, she is also a Natgeo Emerging Explorer expanding the World of what scientists look like, enjoy!
Find her on Twitter & Instagram : @keneiloe
Ep.16 : Seeing The Bigger Picture : The Community Currency w/ Shamier Magmoet
Read more about Shamier Magmoet below,
I had my first experience freediving 4 years ago, and wanted to share my experience and what I saw with children.
Two years ago I co-founded Seathebiggerpicture Ocean Initiative of which I am the Vice Chairman.
I have also entered a film pitch competition in Durban called NEW Pitch hosted by NEWF, where I was one of the winners to go on to make my first short film called Rise From The Cape Flats which is currently being broadcasted by 50/50, NEWF, and Nat Geo Africa.
Since my first freediving experience, I have fell deeply in love with our ocean, and now all I do is advocate for her, and try to connect our communities with her.
A phenomenal conversation with Shamier Magmoet, a film maker, underwater photographer, conservation and all round water human.. we speak passions, representation, collaborations and stories of love! The ocean is love!
@shamier_ocean left us with the following ‘if you want to do something, start doing it, there’s nothing stopping you from starting... and if you want to win competitions, you should make effort to enter them’, I’m guilty of the last bit 😂😂
Enjoy!
Ep 15 : Biotechnology Meets Marine Biology w/ Rose Santana
We have Rose Santana, she was born in Dominican Republic and moved to Germany.
She has a Bachelors degree in Biotechnology, with her passion for the ocean, she eventually moved to Miami Florida and earned her second Bachelors degree in Marine Biology.
She was the President of her schools chapter of the Society of Women in Marine Science and later selected to participate in a 21-Day research expedition in the Canadian Arctic, where she used drones and ROVs to look at ice formations.
She currently works as the lab manager of the Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology laboratory at Florida International University, where their current study is the effects of metal contaminants on fish behavior, primarily predator-prey interactions.
Enjoy!
Ep.14 : Oceanography & Representation in Marine Sciences w/ Thando Mazomba
Thando Mazomba, a phenomenal water woman who is a Marine Biologist, Oceanographer and all round water human!
Thando is a Water Woman, a Marine Biologist, an Oceanographer, a Global Ambassador for @thesireneproject and all the good that we need to see in the world! We talk about all of this and representation and she left us with the advice to keep asking ourselves what makes us happy, and that it’s okay for this answer to change from a week, a year or a day ago, and to just stay true!
Enjoy!
Ep.13 : Rebreathers & Passion meeting Purpose w/ Weldon Wade
Weldon is a Bermudian SCUBA diver, freediver and closed-circuit rebreather diver, commercial diver and founder of community organization called Guardians of the Reef. Weldon is also the Communications Coordinator for the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme which is led by the Government of Bermuda, in collaboration with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science and the Waitt Institute. He is also an Ambassador for 5Gyres, Pathwater and Seahive and recently joined the 2020 PADI AmbassaDiver cohort.
Weldon is well known in Bermuda and beyond for his passion for the ocean, organizing beach clean ups, boat trips, expeditions, lionfish culling events and community outreach.
Weldon holds more than 10 years of diving experience, serves on numerous boards and committees of Bermuda's conservation and ocean organizations, and was a speaker at TEDxBermuda in 2014.
Career Highlights
• Founder of Guardians of the Reef, ocean advocacy NGO
• TEDx Bermuda speaker, “Diving with Purpose” (2014)
• Director at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration We talk about rebreathers, guardians of the Reef conservation, passion meeting purpose and what it means to be an ambassadiver! Tuck in! Thanks
• Deputy Chairman of the Bermuda Historic Wrecks Authority
• Featured on Smithsonian magazine online for ocean exploration (2019)
• Featured on the cover of Going Green magazine (2019)
• Best of Bermuda Award 2015 – Unsung Hero, for Ocean Advocacy
• The first and only Bermudian certified freediver/scuba diver/CCR diver
• KBB award recipient for Shore Savers Marine Debris Project (2014)
• Mission Director and Founder of sea survey project, “16 Fathoms”
- Ambassador for 5Gyres.org, Seahive and Pathwater
We talk about rebreathers, guardians of the Reef conservation, passion meeting purpose and what it means to be an ambassadiver!
Enjoy!
Ep.12 : The Plastic Pollution Problem w/ Aaniyah Omardien
Aaniyah focuses on work that connects people and nature. She worked for WWF SA from 2001 to 2010, where she helped start and eventually managed WWF South Africa’s Marine Programme.
She is the founder and one of three directors to The Beach Co-op (TBC). TBC is a not-for-profit company that evolved from the work of a group of volunteers that started collecting marine debris at their local surf break, the rocky shore at Surfers Corner in Muizenberg, Cape Town in 2015.
She is a water woman who’s love for the ocean has inspired conservation and advocacy work, so excited for this meet up! Join us at 18h00 SAST and let’s connect!
I don’t know where to start in the sharing about this phenomenal human... we spoke Ocean passions, conservation, advocacy, South Africa’s history and the gold our ability to share in the ocean is..
@aani_crab shared many things and I’d like to leave you with this,
* If you’re able to make your work, your bill payer, work towards it - she said it more elegantly lol, but also,
* Amongst the Dirty dozen is the plastic bottle cap and plastic bottle, these are 2 different kinds of plastic that are recycled differently. So if you must have your chips and cool drink, close the bottle with the lid when done and don’t throw your chips and sweet packets in the bottle as it makes the recycling process a small nightmare.
Go check the Dirty dozen list on @thebeachco_op website - they include ear buds, water bottles and their lids, chip and sweet packets and plastic bags,
Ep.11 : A New Generation of Surfers w/ Black Girls Surf
Rhonda Harper will be joining us to talk about Black Girls Surf! Talking New Generation of Surfers, their partnership with @hurley , Identity, Representation and Women taking care of themselves in the midst of holding worlds together! Enjoy 💙🏄🏾♀️🧜🏽♀️
Enjoy!
Ep.10 : Shark Week & Representation w/ Jenny Bzzi
Jenny Bzzi is a French/British researcher living in Ireland where she is studying for her PhD in Marine ecology.
She grew up in Brittany, France. Studied for her undergrad in the UK before taking 2 years out to gain experience and explore the world. She then went back for a Masters in 2017 and started her PhD in Dublin in 2018, specifically studying the habitat and feeding ecology of large marine species like sharks and whales.
Jenny is an ocean conservationist and shark advocate. Most of her life actually revolved around her love for sharks and the oceans.
It’s Shark Week so we had a chat with Jenny Bzzi talking about Sharks, Shark Week, Representation and Conservation efforts that we can be a part of! Hop on and have a listen!
Some Highlights from the discussion, on representation
1. Share the mic, in opportunities to speak, see how you can diversity the space
2. Mentorship
3. Supporting organizations like @miss_elasmo and how the more we support diversified organizations, the more we share ocean ownership and authority.
And on conservation - to pick one thing that you can commit to and do, with the end goal not being perfection but conscious behavioral change 🦈
1. Check that your cosmetic products aren’t made from Shark parts
2. By-catch is a big problem at sea, check where your fish comes from when you buy or eat at restaurants and using apps that show healthy population of fish species that we can indulge in like @wwfsassi
3. And lastly, having conversations at home with your family and friends about sharks, sharing your knowledge and moving away from the sensationalized ‘Jaws’ to learning more about sharks and how we can protect them too 💕
Ep.9 : Freediving Under Ice, Zero degrees on One Breath w/ Aurelia Carnets
Our guest today is Aurelia Carnets, a Freediver who has Freedived under ice, she is also a freelance writer and vintage shop owner.
She lives in Paris, France and lives for the Ocean and Vintage Fashion. Aurelia and I chat about Freediving, representation and her entire experience of diving under Ice in Canada!
Enjoy!
Ep.8 : The Body Positive Surfer - Representation in the Surfing Industry w/Curvy Surfer Girl
Elizabeth Sneed is a surfer based in Hawaii, here we chat about everything under the sun! Literally!! She joins the Black Mermaid to chat representation, Hawaiian history, Colonization, culture, existential norms and the story of loving self and seeing it in other people!! Listen in!
Watch the Live on YouTube : https://youtu.be/EiAQBNRpHzI
Ep.7 : The Conservationist - The BIPOC Woman bringing change in Ocean Conservation w/Megan Rose
Megan Rose is a Freediver, an educator and above all, a Marine Conservationist!
She joins The Black Mermaid to talk about her phenomenal journey at Two Oceans Aquarium working on a Turtle Rehab Project, Baited underwater remote video monitoring systems to track fish communities, to her conservation work with I am Water where she teaches Ocean Conservation through human experience - getting little people in the water, and the Beach Co-op where they arrange beach cleans and task volunteers with keeping track of the dirty dozen! An amazing conversation, enjoy!
Watch the Live on YouTube : https://youtu.be/UW-EP6gZpH0
Ep.6 : The Organization Diversifying Representation in the Ocean Arena w/The Ocean of Colour
An open conversation with Katie Storr talking the partnership with The Black Mermaid to create The Ocean of Colour - chatting about the need for this organization, representation, building community and how to dialogue around diversifying representation in ocean spaces.
Watch on YouTube : https://youtu.be/aUjApoq15M8
Ep.5 : The Surfing Coach - Being a Black Woman Surf Coach & Representation in Surfing w/Rhonda Harper
Rhonda Harper is the founder of Black Girls Surf, where she is also the surfing coach. Her mission is to get more Black girls surfing, the passion that has driven her to keep doing the work, this in turn, diversifying the sport.
She has run BGS since 2014 with 2 of her students qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Sambe and Kamara who are from Senegal and Serra Leone respectively, they are also the only female surfers in their countries.
She is currently in Senegal and joins The Black Mermaid to talk Black Girls Surf, representation and the brains behind it all!
Watch on YouTube : https://youtu.be/mtcrOFn8sNo
Ep.4 : The Marine Biologist - Being BIPOC in a largely underrepresented Career w/Dr Nasreen Peer
Dr Nasreen Peer is a Marine Biologist based in South Africa, she is Researcher, lecturer at Stellenbosch University and the co-founder of Argonaut Science, a business focused on encouraging citizen science and ocean exploration.
Nasreen joins The Black Mermaid to talk marine sciences, diverse representation in Ocean sciences and the challenges experienced here, Community conservation efforts, social reform and how we can all do better! Enjoy!! 💙🧜🏽♀️
Watch on the Live on YouTube : https://youtu.be/0_E0AB2J9GA
Ep.3 : The Spearfisher Woman - Being a BIPOC Woman in Spearfishing & Representation w/Danz of All Trades
Danielle Bachew is a Trinidad based Spearfisher Woman who is fondly called 'Shark Bite' amongst her peers. She has had some very impressive catches at sea, she joins The Black mermaid to share about spearfishing, getting more Women into the sport, conservation and some tips and tricks for beginners, do enjoy!
Watch the Live on Youtube : https://youtu.be/FA9GbknAT18
Follow on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter : @FreedivingZA and @Zandithemermaid
Ep.2 : The Scuba Diving Instructor - Being a BIPOC Woman in the Scuba Industry & Representation w/Dive Marsha Dive
Run Forest Run! - Marsha Ahmed
Marsha is a Scuba Diving Instructor based in the Maldives, already having grown up around the Ocean she only took to it in 2012 and tells us of her journey to becoming a Scuba Diving Instructor in a career where Women are not largely represented.
Her handle is called ‘Dive Marsha Dive’ we learn more about how this came about as she joins The Black Mermaid talking the process to becoming, the environment, representation and being a woman in the Scuba industry, enjoy!
Watch the Live on YouTube : https://youtu.be/FV545fiFkfk
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter for more - @FreedivingZA and @Zandithemermaid
Xx
Ep.1 : The Underwater Photographer - Being a Black Woman in the Industry, Representation, Gear w/Mermaid Katies
Katie Storr is an Underwater Photographer, Scuba Diving Instructor, Coral Conservationist and a Shark4life Ambassador and more!! She joins The Black Mermaid to discuss Ocean love as well as Black Lives Matter and what it means to be an ally, enjoy!
Watch the Live : https://youtu.be/HtB0UisDWT8
*This podcast is created from Instagram Live recordings where The Black Mermaid invites Ocean Humans to share space and inspire, the audio might not be the greatest but the stoke is! Join us! The IG lives are held Thursday weekly on Instagram @FreedivingZA at 18h00, come hang!*
Follow FreedivingZA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!
Thanks for joining 💙🧜🏽♀️