We believe in the ethos: you protect what you love

 

The I AM WATER mission is to help people fall in love with the ocean.

 
 

Much of today's ocean degradation is fundamentally due to human disconnect. Many people feel very little, or no connection to the ocean, behaving in ways that negatively affect the well being of this precious resource.

We feel especially passionate about working with underserved / low income coastal communities where, despite living walking distance to the shoreline young people have never seen the world just beneath the waves.

 Want to support our work? Please consider making a donation!

 

Watch as a group of Grade 7 Students experience their ocean for the first time:

 
We've spent some beautiful days this week exploring our coastline, with Grade 7s from Hazeldene and Portland Primary, together with the Western Cape government education department. And it has us thinking about a few things, not least the spirit of sharing and community that we've encountered on our workshops. Our coaches, who are determined to give their all to share our shorelines, and the learners, who dive into everything so wholeheartedly that we can't help but feel a lot of ocean optimism when it comes to the future of our shared oceans. Reflecting on day as important as Human Rights Day in South Africa, the resilience, positivity and leadership we've witnessed in this community fills us with one overwhelming feeling: hope.
Such fun with the Grade 7s from Hazeldene and Portland Primary schools today! Cape Town kept a late summer day in store for us, and we had two workshops running in parallel at St James and Glencairn. An evil-eye pufferfish made an appearance for Team 2 at Glencairn, and the team at St James snorkelled through shoals and shoals of shimmering mullet - "There were so many fish, miss!"
We love these snorkel grins! Day 2 with Portland Primary at Windmill Beach and Miller's Point 🐟 Favourite comment of the day, walking back up to the bus: "I never knew I could love the ocean this much. I mean, I like the ocean, but now I love it!"
Windy, late summer Cape days here with Portland Primary Grade 7s from Mitchell's Plain 💙 We taught two parallel workshops with 60 kids at St James and Glencairn 🌞 ____________ Photos: @monraykenny
The ocean should be a place that makes everyone grin like this! Our beaches should feel welcoming to all who want to play in the sunshine, explore the shoreline and breathe in that salty sea air 💙 Our fabulous team of coaches, led by @samrjourney and @datninadoe, introduced the Grade 7s from Caravelle Primary to their blue backyard this week. Keep making this saltwater circle bigger, and bigger ...
If there's anything we're most passionate about, it's creating access to experience the wonder of our oceans. Without first knowing the sea and its inhabitants, without first falling in love a little, we feel it's a bit of an ask to expect people to protect the ocean. While our amazing team of coaches in Cape Town, led by @samrjourney, @datninadoe and @meganrose_f, champion this concept for the kids on the northern shores of False Bay, the rest of our team carry this ethos across into the @iamwater_oceantravel trips that help fund our ocean guardian workshops. Lauren and 13 year old Linnéa spent the morning enchanted by beady-eyed hermit crabs, marvelling at life in the rockpools just as we do back home in Cape Town ______________ @hanliprinsloo, @petermarshallphoto and chef extraordinaire @eat_to.thrive are the @iamwater_oceantravel team currently in Mozambique helping guests fall for this wild southern African coastline. Follow their stories to see why we just love this magical place and the dolphins that call it home!
This water colour could fool one into thinking it's the tropics ... the temperature? Not so much! But a more beautiful sea one couldn't ask for on the 2nd day of our two-day ocean workshop with Meadowridge Primary Grade 7s. __________ Photos: @samrjourney