After a five-year hiatus, Seychelles will once again host the Ocean Festival, originally known as SUBIOS (Sub Indian Ocean Seychelles), which has evolved over the years to encompass a wider range of activities and sectors, from sailing and watersports to sustainable seafood gastronomy and diving.
This year's festival will take place from Thursday, November 28, to Saturday, November 30, and will showcase the diversity, beauty, and fragility of Seychelles' marine ecosystem, with a focus on sustainability, education, and community engagement.
This year, the festival will be held under the theme "Safeguarding Our Oceans".
The director general for Destination Marketing at Tourism Seychelles, Bernadette Willemin, said that this festival is important in promoting the country's biggest asset - the ocean.
"The most important aspect of this festival that we must highlight is the collaboration between NGOs, government entities, and tourism establishments. This richness from our oceans, it is important that we are able to protect it and that everyone works together to do so," said Willemin.
She added: "It is important that we safeguard it for our children in the future. And we have many partners who will be participating in the festival, who normally ensure on a daily basis that the ocean is protected."
Apart from exhibitions at the National History Museum and the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort, there will also be a number of beach cleanups that will be done on the main inner islands as well as on the outer islands.
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The main sponsor of the Ocean Festival is the Save Our Seas Foundation, founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 2003, which has a research centre based on D'Arros Island.
A representative of Save our Seas, Sheril De Commarmond, called on the public to "attend these events, especially with their families. There will be many interesting things, including new ideas that we are looking to introduce including Virtual Reality Sets. This is for those who are not able to put their head underwater to see the beauty."
De Commarmond added that apart from the many activities planned there will also be a premiere showing of a documentary film called "Coconuts to Conservation."
Willemin said, "We made sure that the activities cater to everyone from locals to foreigners. And most importantly for the children; they are the future of our country and they therefore will be the ones continuing this in the future. We will have activities that will engage the community, such as a family fun day, community story-telling, and arts and craft workshops."
The director general for Public Education and Community Outreach from the Ministry responsible for the Environment, Jeanette Larue, said they will be promoting snorkelling ro Seychellois of all ages.
Larue said soon the Ministry will be launching snorkelling as an activity part of the curriculum linked to swimming classes in schools as of next year. They also want to promote this activity towards adults as well; where they will also have instructors present at the beach near Beau Vallon Bay during the festival to teach anyone who wishes to learn.
