This year, Cape RADD started its first school holiday program by welcoming curious young minds into marine science. We created this weeklong journey, during school holidays, to mix education and excitement, turning our students into real-world research assistants. After completing their SSI Snorkel Diver course, they were eager to explore the Great African Sea Forest.
Day 1: Leveling Up & Kelp Forest Exploration
The adventure began with an exciting start as the kids worked through snorkel theory and species identification workshops. To test their new skills, we took a quick walk along the Simon’s Town Jetty to observe local invertebrates before heading to Miller’s Point. After perfecting their mask clearing and duck diving in the tidal pool the students ventured into the open ocean. They even encountered a Dark shyshark! It was a fantastic sight to see them explore the swaying kelp forest with a true fish-eye view for the very first time.
Day 2: Rocky Shores & Ocean Safaris
On Day 2, we focused on the rocky shore, where the students learned intertidal sampling using scientific quadrats. They spent the morning identifying limpets and sea stars before taking a coastal walk to visit the famous Boulders Beach penguins. The excitement heightened in the afternoon as we boarded our research vessel, Top Banana, for an Ocean Safari. While collecting eDNA samples for our citizen science project, the group witnessed a massive short-tail stingray that left everyone buzzing.
Day 3: Shark Science & Beach Patrol
Mid-week centered on sharks and community impact. We went to Windmill Beach for a “Snorkel for Science” session, photographing sharks for our Finspotter database. Later, at Fish Hoek beach, the students helped sort marine debris and looked for shark egg cases, successfully finding fifteen cases from three different species, including the elusive St Joseph shark. Back at the Ocean HUB, we got technical under the microscopes, analyzing those egg cases for predation holes and hatching success to add to our long-term research.
Day 4: High-Tech Monitoring & BRUVs
On Day 4, we tested the students’ identification skills at Water’s Edge beach, where they named a variety of fish species in the wild. The afternoon was dedicated to high-tech monitoring as the team prepared and deployed a Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) system. When we retrieved the footage back at the HUB, the room erupted; we saw octopus and klipvis, and a giant short-tail stingray swam right into the frame, playfully nudging our camera!
Day 5: Conservation & The Grand Finale
We concluded the program with a bang, conducting a harbor clean-up that removed 1.5kg of trash from the water. Before drying off, we made one last trip to Windmill Beach and were thrilled to see three Pyjama catsharks tucked away in a crevice. To finish the week, the students got hands-on with a fish dissection to learn about marine health assessments and parasites. It was a fascinating way to understand the inner workings of the species we spent all week protecting. After making their official ocean pledges and receiving their certificates, it was clear our first program was a huge success.
We are already counting down to our next session, scheduled for September 28th to October 2nd, 2026. Spots are limited, so if you want your child to join us, email info@caperadd.com to book your place!