WALVIS Bay mayor Trevino Forbes and French ambassador to Namibia Sébastien Minot this week welcomed the arrival of the French laboratory ship, the schooner Tara.
They said it would add value to the upcoming celebration of World Oceans Day on 8 June.
The ship, which docked at the port of Walvis Bay on Wednesday after travelling from Cape Town, will be in Namibia for six days. Coastal schools and the public are participating in guided tours of the laboratory.
Walvis Bay mayor Trevino Forbes says the arrival of the ship will add to young people's knowledge.
World Oceans Day celebrations will take place on 10 and 11 June.
"It is a wonderful experience for our children. It stimulates curiosity among them. They will learn about what is happening in our oceans, and how they play a vital role in the global climate.
"It is important for our children as it contributes to them caring for the ocean," he says.
Minot says the visit came at an opportune time when there are important decisions to be made on the preservation of ocean life.
"World Oceans Day is taking place in a very rich semester, demonstrating the concern the international community has for the ocean.
"There was a summit in France in February in which president Geingob participated. There will be a United Nations ocean summit that is co-organised by Portugal and Kenya.
"It is a crucial year for promoting sustainable development goals - life below water. The fact that Tara stopped over this time is interesting and beneficial," he says. The ship, which belongs to the Tara Ocean Foundation, is 36m long and 10m wide. The captain of the ship, Audrain Saituel, says the crew was curious to learn more about the Namibian coast.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"We left France a year and half ago to study. There are 14 people on board, including a journalist to share the project.
We are continuing along the coast up to Europe.
"It will be an almost two-year expedition.
We will cover seven African countries, including South Africa, Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Gambia and Senegal," he says.
A Namibian student, Ndamona Mateus, joined the crew at Cape Town on 25 April and has been travelling and working with the scientists.
Students from the University of Namibia will be assisting on the ship while it is anchored at Walvis Bay.
