Neptune, mermaids celebrate
The Dias Museum, in marking Marine Month, hosted a delightful event celebrating the Mussels of Mossel Bay and shedding light on the ocean's future.
The so-called "mussels" referred to are all those doing their bit towards marine conservation in and around Mossel Bay.
Museum staff dressed as mythical marine characters, King Neptune surrounded by his mermaids, made the evening all the more fun.
More than 180 people attended the event, ranging from three-year-olds to octogenarians, from novices to scientists and engineers. The audience was representative of Mossel Bay in all its diversity.
Anette Strydom entertained the audience on the with beautiful piano-music. Arno Munro (DEFF), with his great sense of humour, was the program director. Denise Lloyd, the new chairperson of the friends of the Dias museum welcomed the audience.
The audience thoroughly enjoyed the excellent performance about the Mussels of Mossel Bay, enacted by the Living Stage Theatre Group, very much. The performance included interesting facts about mussels, some humour as well as honouring some special "mussels" or people of Mossel Bay.
Janine Pereira and Tersia Marais did a short but excellent and unusual presentation about S.M.A.R.T. Esther Jacobs and team informed the audience about the Keep Fin Alive and the Go Dive Mossel Bay campaigns.
Acheley Nortje charmed the audience with his interesting scientific facts about mussels. It is mainly the brown mussel (perna perna) which occurs in the Mossel Bay area. Black mussels are found in the cold sea water around Hermanus to Cape Town and the west coast. White mussels are also found in Mossel Bay as well as the invasive Mediterranean mussels.
Dr Gerrit Theron, an education- specialist told the audience about Musselburgh in Scotland and suggested that Mossel Bay could likewise use the word and image of mussels much more for publicity. He also suggested that a very large or giant mussel should be erected somewhere in Mossel Bay.
Dr Peter Nillssen, the famous archaeologist involved with the Pinnacle Point caves, captivated the audience with his excellent presentation on the theme and how mussels has been eaten and utilised since the early people many thousands of years ago and is still being eaten and utilized. He also inspired the audience by sharing his extraordinary interspecies experiences with marine fish which were trapped in a pond as well as the distressed wild penguin which swam to Carol Walton from SAPREC recently.
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries donated items for the fun-filled lucky draw and also gifts for the presenters. The delightful Harold Muller, chairman of the Dias Museum Management Committee did the vote of thanks.
All the presentations were informative, interesting and excellent. Rounding a most enjoyable evening, with refreshments were offered, kindly donated by Garden of Eden Berries, Catch-a-Lot, Carola Ann's and Elza Mizon.