24 hour Dive Relay – International African Penguin Awareness Day 2022
#SaveTheAfricanPenguin campaign
International African Penguin Awareness Day is celebrated on the 8th of October worldwide.
In order to raise awareness for African Penguins and ocean conservation, Ushaka Marine World have invited all scuba divers to participate in a 24 hours dive relay!
DUC would like to support this awesome initiative and invite all our divers to participate !
- Only 2 divers allowed per 30min slot.
- All dive gear and cylinders to be brought in by divers. ( special access has been arranged and will be explained upon registration)
- Dive to take place in the uShaka Lagoon which has shower and changing facilities with quick access through the Village Walk. The SAAMBR team will arrange security at access point as well as Parking for night time divers in Parking B at the Village Walk. ( more detail to confirm when registered)
- For night-time slots divers can sleep-over in the Aquarium at the Open Ocean exhibit which is near ablution facilities and access to the top of the Snorkel Lagoon.
- Divers to bring their own food and beverages during the event. During the day there are various food outlets within uShaka Marine World as well as in the Village Walk.
- Divers and immediate family will have access to the dive entry point and facility during their allocated time slots on the roster (and during the night for the evening slots).
- Spectators can view from the gallery in the aquarium. SAAMBR to arrange limited number of aquarium access passes for the day time slots.
- SAAMBR will create countdown signs which will be with the divers underwater.
- We would like to encourage divers to bring their cameras and take pictures during day time slots and share with SAAMBR to use as stock photography of the exhibit, fish and event. Flash/strobe lights can be used until 7pm and again after 5am. (Fish are not used to bright lights for extended time periods).
- The exhibit and gallery lights will stay on throughout the night.
DUC would like to donate funds to Save the African Penguin – SANCCOB as a club. For this reason we are asking that each person that participates pay R100 per diver ( not per dive 😊).
The club will then make a donation to SANCCOB after the event.
PLEASE NOTE:
- The link lists all the 30min dive slots over 24 hours.
- The booking form is LIVE – so if you go onto a slot and it does not allow you to book a specific time or only has 1 spot available, it means it has been taken – choose another slot.
- Any Dive Masters that are wanting to participate, please contact Bryan Hart on 082 8099 188 – part of the event / safety is that each dive team is monitored by a Dive Master.
F.A.Q.s
Diving will take place in the ‘Snorkel Lagoon’, a 2 million L exhibit which is home to almost 100 different fish species.
Your registration ticket is your pass to a bit of underwater fun and magic for good.
During park opening hours we will issue a limited number of access cards to the Aquarium’s viewing galleries, with direct access after-hours.
If you are one of the night divers and wish to sleepover, please bring all required bedding.
We will direct you where to set up ‘camp’ (at the Open Ocean Exhibit where you can view beautiful fish and rays all night). We can only bring overnight kit into the aquarium after closing time (17:30). Our aquarium crew start working on exhibits from 7:00 in the morning which will be a good time to move back up to the Snorkel Lagoon area outside.
Access to the Snorkel Lagoon is via the uShaka Marine Sea Animal Encounters Island entrance which is in the Village Walk centra just before you get to the Cargo Hold Restaurant and the uShaka Marine ticketing office. There will be a security guard stationed at the entrance welcoming and directing all.
Please park at uShaka Parking B. We will arrange free parking for participating divers. We will also arrange to have a uShaka Marine World staff member to assist with a trolley for gear from the parking area to the Animal Encounters Island.
Please bring ALL your OWN gear and if possible, dress in black and white like a penguin.
There is ample space around the snorkel lagoon to kit up, an easy entry and exit point and warm showers for after the dive as well as changing and ablution facilities.
uShaka Marine offers snorkelling in the Snorkel Lagoon at R111/30 minutes, a great activity for family members while you are diving.
All children to be supervised at all times by a parent/guardian.
We will have standard indemnity forms to be signed before the dives commence.
SAAMBR will have safety officers and support on duty throughout the event.
Dive slots are 30 minutes for 2 divers accompanied by a Dive Master (minimum scuba dive qualification accepted is Open Water 1) . Please arrive approximately 60 minutes before your dive slot to prepare, go through the briefing and enjoy the surroundings and support the other divers.
The Village Walk has various food outlets, and uShaka Marine World also has take-away stops which are open during the day. For the night divers, please bring your own snacks.
Together with DUC we will set up a coffee station at the Snorkel Lagoon.
All best practice dive rules and guidelines to apply to ensure a fun and safe event. We encourage underwater photography until 19:00 and again after 5:00 in the morning. (The fish are not used to flash photography at night). SAAMBR would love to use images for social media and web content, so please share your images with us.
The acrylic windows of the exhibits scratch easily, so stay well clear of the windows with regards to your cylinders, weight belts, dive watches etc. We are sure aquarium visitors will engage with you through the windows, so feel free to wave. We will also have countdown signage which we will ask the divers to change out every hour.
We are also doing a 24-hr walk so it is going to be a fun and busy night. All divers are invited to join our ‘penguin waddle’ which will be a relay work on the Point Waterfront Promenade during the day, and in the uShaka Marine World park during the night.
Most importantly – have FUN.
We will share a direct contact number of our safety officers should you have any queries during the event.
Thank you to all participants. Let’s make this a hugely successful event and start planning the next one!
