Green Gang and Everyday Africa trip to Watamu

Students learn about conservation at Watamu Turtle Watch.The Green Gang and Everyday Africa enrichment clubs organized an excursion for 21 students from different year groups to Watamu over the weekend of 09-10 April 2016. The main objectives of the trip were to gain more knowledge about turtles, contribute towards turtle conservation efforts, and capture images portraying Kenyans in a positive way.

Students departed for Watamu around 8:30 am on Saturday morning. All the students were then taken to the Watamu Turtle Watch, which is a marine conservation working to protect sea turtles and the marine environment in Kenya. The main purpose of visiting Watamu Turtle Watch was to involve students in conservation projects. The students were given a brief presentation about turtles found in the Kenyan waters, the importance of turtle conservation and the projects carried out by Watamu Turtle Watch and the Local Ocean Trust. This was a great learning opportunity for the students as they were able to understand the significance of conserving the environment around us.

A rescued sea-turtle at the rehabilitation centre.The Watamu Turtle Watch has a specialist sea-turtle rescue and rehabilitation centre. This facility is built to treat and care for the sick and injured turtles brought by the By-catch Release Program. It treats issues like: fish hook injuries, boating accident injuries, flipper amputations and dehydration. The students were taken to see different turtles in the rehabilitation centre and everyone was amazed by the extent to which this organization worked towards protecting these endangered marine animals. The Everyday Africa club took several pictures of the turtles for their Instagram page.

Before leaving Turtle Watch, the Green Gang and Everyday Africa groups donated towards their remarkable projects. After this fruitful tour, the students had lunch at a hotel and also relaxed on Watamu beach.  The next day was even more exciting for the students as they enjoyed swimming, snorkeling, and a boat ride. The trip concluded with a visit to the remains of a Swahili town called Ruins of Gedi, located in the village of Gedi. They also saw the Great Mosque and Palace and were quite fascinated by the items on display at the museum.

Students end their Watamu trip with some fun in the water.All in all, this trip was a wonderful opportunity for students to gain more knowledge about environmental issues as well as enjoy the mesmerizing view of the Indian Ocean. All the objectives of the trip were met, and the team is looking forward to more educational and service-based trips in the future.

By Faliha Mukhi, DP1 (The Reporters)

Photos by Elsie Makini and Faliha Mukhi