![]() ![]() It is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, providing food, shelter and the ideal habitat for various species including endangered sea snails called abalone, the Cape fur seal and a variety of shark species.įoster believes that if he can get others to think of this sea forest as one of the natural wonders of the world, much like the Great Barrier Reef, they will be inspired to conserve it. Earn a specialty certification through an online course: We offer several specialties that do not require any in-water skills. This particular kelp forest extends for 1,000 kilometers and is just 100 meters wide. The 18 new designations brings the total up to 195 Geoparks, covering a total surface. Geoparks serve local communities by combining the conservation with public outreach and a sustainable approach to development. Through his work Foster hopes to raise awareness of what he calls the “great African sea forest” - which spans from Cape Town up the coast to Namibia. The UNESCO Global Geopark designation was created in 2015, and recognizes geological heritage of international significance. He is more mindful of the multiple threats facing the kelp forest: plastic and chemical pollution, over fishing, poaching, ocean mining and climate change. “It’s always being thrown by a huge wave onto a rock, being cut into pieces, or jammed in a cave underwater.” “I’ve come very close to death a number of times, but never close to death from a shark,” he said. Yet Foster has put his life on the line in the ocean. Over the years Foster has taken thousands of intimate photos of wildlife, including this extreme close up of a pyjama catshark's eye. Visit us at the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace We will have a tasty cappuccino and recommend the best course for you, inform you about the prices and additional benefits. The book, “Sea Change: Primal Joy and the art of underwater tracking,” details how he touched a cat shark on its “nose” before it lay relaxed in his hands “tame as a puppy.” It describes how an enormous stingray wrapped its wings around him for a few frightening seconds, and how a Cape clawless otter reached out to touch his face.īut his most memorable encounter was with an octopus he befriended and accompanied on hunts. He has now published a book, along with fellow diver Ross Frylinck, documenting his close encounters with these wild animals. But for the past eight years, he has turned his attention to a vast underwater kelp forest off the west coast of South Africa where he spends his days tracking sea creatures. Some might call him reckless – in the past, Foster, a filmmaker, has dived with Nile crocodiles in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and swum with great white sharks. But still Craig Foster slips into the frigid water every day, without a wetsuit or scuba gear, off to explore an underwater kingdom. The Atlantic Ocean off the southern-most tip of Africa is so cold it feels like your skin is burning. ![]()
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