Every year, in the second week of October, we celebrate National Marine Week in Nelson Mandela Bay and all over South Africa. The idea behind National Marine Week is to create awareness of ocean conservation and to educate the public about the role the oceans play in their daily lives.
 

The theme for 2016’s National Marine Week is, “Our ocean, our future”.

In honour of Marine week, it is important to understand that we don’t necessarily have to make major changes to our lifestyle to make a difference and a positive impact on our environment, but that the best thing we can do is to think twice before we do, drink, eat and purchase because...

• An average of about 8 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans per year.
• The African Penguin is facing extinction and by 2020 these beautifully awkward seabirds will possibly be no longer with us.
• South Africans consume 312 million kilograms of fish every year.
• Abalone is heavily depleted and it declined by 35,5% over a ten-year period.
• According to the most recent United Nations Environment Programme report, 60 to 90% of all marine debris is made up of different plastic polymers.
• Every single piece of plastic that has ever been produced still exists to this day.

The ocean needs help and the future of our ocean is in our hands. Ocean conservation starts with you; it starts with your family and in your household.
 

#MarineWeekSA: Small things you can do to help ocean

• Say no to plastic bags.
• Do not use plastic straws.
• Use reusable water bottles and containers.
• Use a travel mug instead of a take-way mug.
• Stop using balloons. Say happy birthday with cake, it tastes better.
• Know what you eat –  Think twice about fish listed as orange, since these species are still in danger. Fish listed as green is safe to eat and it is illegal to eat red-listed fish.  Download the app created by WWF and SASSI and know what you eat.
• Do not litter – reuse, reduce and recycle. Did you know that "during the 2015 International Coastal Clean-up Day in East London, a total of 16 141 volunteers collected over 109 000 litter items over just 77 kilometres of coastline"? Have a look at what Linda Markovina from Moving Sushi says about reusing plastic bottles.
• Don’t let cigarette butts end up in any place other than a bin. It is extremely toxic for marine animals.
• Do not buy products which are made from animal and/or ocean products like coral reef, tortoise shell or shark teeth.
• Think twice before you do anything and think about the future of our oceans. Click here to read Moving Sushi's guide to beach etiquette.
   

Things to do in (or near) the sea in Nelson Mandela Bay

• Visit the penguin and marine bird rehabilitation centre, SAMREC - click here for more information.
• Go on an educational Raggy Charter Boat Tour - click here for more information.
• Surf - click here for more information.
• Dive with one of these dive operators: Pro Dive, MTC and Dive Expert Tours.
• Hike the Roseat Tern Hiking Trail in Cape Recife Nature Reserve - click here for more information.
• Go Sandboarding in Sundays River Valley - click here for more information.
   

Written by Anje Rautenbach, travel blogger at Going Somewhere Slowly. Follow her journeys around South Africa on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.