Waddling for endangered penguins
DURBANITE Ramini Naidoo, 45, has walked 130km from Gansbaai, in the Western Cape, through to Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town in order to raise environmental awareness for the endangered African penguin.
Naidoo and 15 others started their six-day trek at 9am on Monday, May 8 and completed it on Saturday afternoon.
Speaking to POST a day after her arrival, Naidoo said she had always wanted to participate in the annual Penguin Waddle and jumped for joy the moment she found out she was accepted.
Naidoo, who has been a member of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), said the walk helped to educate people on the importance of not littering and saying “no” to plastic.
Along their way, the group, comprised of students from the University of Cape Town, volunteers and organisers from the Two Oceans Aquarium and the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, chatted to onlookers about marine conservation in the country, picked up litter and held posters reading “Hoot for Penguins”.
They recorded 1 400 hoots on day one at Hermanus.
Although she was one of the oldest participants in the group, Naidoo said her passion and determination for conservation kept her going. She also encourages others to make a change and save marine life.
“We have stopped doing the basics,” she said. “If every one of us could give up some of our bad habits, we could help save these amazing creatures.”
Ushaka Sea World’s Ann Kunz said the waddle has been a joint project between uShaka and Two Oceans Aquarium since 2010 and attracts attention from motorists, locals, visitors and environmentalists they meet along the way.