SOUTH AFRICA
WESTERN CAPE
The Dyer Island Conservation Trust joined forces with CapeNature and the I AM WATER Foundation to host a powerful day of ocean education and exploration for our DEEP Blue Ambassadors.
Set within the Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot®—stretching from Rooi Els to Quoin Point—the event created meaningful opportunities for local youth to snorkel, learn about marine biodiversity, explore ocean careers and connect deeply with the sea through mammalian dive response.
Sharklady Adventures and Oceans of Hope created a video about the conservation, heritage and biodiversity of the Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot®.
(Video by Kim Maclean)
At Hermanus in Walker Bay, Shark Conservancy hosted a
Shark Lab Open Day to educate about MPAs, citizen science, and live shark demonstrations.
(Photo by Blake Correira)
Nearby, Ocean Pledge and I Am Water Foundation ran a school event at Die Duine Primary School in Lotus River, Cape Town.
Ocean Pledge also held school events at the Rock Academy Community School in Fish Hoek.
(Photo by Ocean Pledge)
Visitors explored the coastline, met marine rangers, and learned about the Table Mountain National Park MPA through science stations, rocky shore walks, youth patrols, and conservation talks.
Guardians of the Deep and SANParks Honorary Rangers hosted an MPA Day Open Day in Kommetjie with the Table Mountain National Park Marine Unit.
The City of Cape Town’s Smart Living Programme, in partnership with HOAM, hosted a guided Biodiversity & Photography Walk at the Lourens River Mouth in the Helderberg MPA.
Trail Freedivers hosted a vibrant awareness event at Seaforth Beach highlighting the importance of marine protected areas (MPAs) and no-take zones.
22 enthusiastic divers gathered on the beach, where the day began with an introduction to MPAs and a pre-dive safety briefing.
(Video footage by Ian Mackie)
A penguin popped up on Dalebrook beach, the first of many to be spotted around Cape Town in the coming months.
Painted by MAK1ONE and CareCreative of the Handcantrol360 Crew and supported by the Ocean Finance Company & Excelsior Paints; the mural aimed to draw attention to the urgency of near extinction that African Penguins face.
(Video footage by CareCreativeHC360)
Two Oceans Aquarium and I AM WATER Foundation hosted a Rocky Shore Explore event at Dalebrook Tidal Pool in Kalk Bay.
Cape RADD led a guided snorkel tour at The Ocean Hub in Simon's Town.
Clean & Green Muizenberg met at False Bay for a morning clean up.
Knysna Estuary Research Foundation held a guided estuary edges walk, a free
community snorkelling session, and an interactive art station where people of all ages shared
their hopes for Knysna’s future on a collective board.
(Video footage by Jessica Seath)
An interactive art session at Knysna.
(Photo by Natasha Lamoral)
The ORCA Foundation partnered with the Field Band Foundation in Kwanokuthula for a day of learning and action.
Local tutors and students joined an educational talk on Marine Protected Areas and marine pollution,
followed by a community beach cleanup.
On MPA Day 2025, Nature’s Valley Trust celebrated along the Garden Route.
(Video footage by Naomi Talbot-Ponsonby)
Learners from Kranshoek Primary School joined a guided experience at Robberg MPA, exploring its rich biodiversity.
(Video footage by Elle Redman)
In collaboration with Plett Shark Spotters, Eco Explorer and Cape Nature Plettenberg Bay, Conserve Eden hiked and did a beach cleanup at Robberg Nature Reserve.
(Photo by Mark Brown)
EASTERN CAPE
East London Museum ran an immersive experience showcasing cutting-edge marine remote imagery research from South Africa’s MPAs and around the world.
At Kleinemonde Beach, a walk was held along the sandy shore to learn more about the magnificent coastline and the MPA.
The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) rolled up their sleeves alongside Dwesa-Cwebe schools for a beach cleanup.
St Andrew's College held day and night-time Explore the Rocky Shores events in Boknes, Eastern Cape.
KWAZULU NATAL (KZN)
Hosted by Wild Alliance Africa, the 2025 MPA Day walk brought together scientists, ocean advocates, local residents, and conservation partners to engage with the Aliwal Shoal Hope Spot® in meaningful, hands-on ways.
The 30km coastal walk from Happy Wanderers Beach to Illovo River saw a team engaging beachgoers about MPAs, recording wildlife sightings, and collecting sand and water samples for research on pollution, microplastics, and ocean health.
Offshore, surfski paddlers will mirror the route, observing marine life, while marine scientists conduct a boat-based dive in the Aliwal Shoal MPA to document biodiversity and gather key ocean data.
(Video by Barry Lewin)
WILDTRUST and Youth4MPAs held an interactive and engaging workshop to help young people connect with the ocean in a meaningful way.
(Photo by Mnqobi Zuma/WILDTRUST.)
Thonga Trails celebrated at a Sea School in Sodwana Bay with a scenic run, marine education for kids and families, a community beach clean-up, the lively Thonga Volley Cup, and an evening of music.
Step by step, Adventure Mania took on the #Run4MPAs challenge in Sodwana Bay. It was more than a run, it was a movement to protect the oceans we all love.
SABCNews in Durban interviewed Dr Judy Mann-Lang who told that while there's better awareness worldwide of the need to protect the world's oceans, challenges remain, such as a lack of capacity to manage marine protected areas.
egypt
In Egypt, the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) is leading marine conservation efforts through the co-management of Samadai – Dolphin House, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Red Sea Marine Protected Areas.
Their work plays a vital role in safeguarding one of the Red Sea’s most iconic MPAs.
HEPCA teamed up with local volunteers and dive centers for a full-day beach cleanup along the shores of the Great Fringing Reef – a Red Sea Hope Spot® at Ahyaa, as well as a clean up of Abo Monkar Island.
They also ran a field monitoring trip at a local mangrove.
(Photo by HEPCA)
Alongside the cleanup, HEPCA launched a social media campaign spotlighting the value of Marine Protected Areas and their ongoing conservation efforts in one of Egypt’s most iconic reef systems.
(Photo by HEPCA)
kenya
Students at Millennium Global International School in Nairobi embraced the ocean as their muse to celebrate MPA Day—transforming waves, tides, coral reefs, and marine life into art, stories and visual expression, and joining our #MPACreativeWaves campaign.
Mozambique
The Crusse community joined forces with local fishers and Community Conservation Practitioners (CCPs) for a vibrant, Wildlife Conservation Society-led celebration.
From theatre and traditional dance to open-air cinema, kids’ games, debates, and a beach cleanup, the day was all about raising awareness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and their importance to coastal livelihoods.
The event is part of ongoing work to establish a Sustainable Use MPA between Memba and Mossuril, strengthening local ownership of marine conservation in Mozambique.
(Video by Raquel da Costa)
Fundação Likhulu marked MPA Day with a landmark event at Museus do Mar, celebrating the Maputaland Hope Spot® and Mozambique’s growing marine conservation leadership.
Highlights included an opening address from the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, a compelling presentation by MUVA on gender in MPAs, and the official launch of the Mozambique LMMA Database.
A short documentary brought the power of MPAs and LMMAs to life, and the event closed on a high note with the awarding of WIO-COMPAS MPA Pro Level Certifications to Mozambique’s newest certified professionals.
(Photo by ANAC)
Love the Oceans, local community, and volunteers came together for a major beach cleanup along the Jangamo Bay Hope Spot®—a hands-on act of ocean care.
(Photo by Lena Pollet)
The day ended with a special screening of Peixinho (Little Fish) – A Story of Courage, an award-winning documentary showcasing their work to connect people and ocean.
SainT HELENA
This short video, created by St Helena Tourism, showcases the breathtaking marine life found in the island’s surrounding waters in the South Atlantic Ocean —
part of one of the world's largest MPAs.
SEYCHELLES
Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA), is responsible for the marine and terrestrial National Parks and Gardens of Seychelles.
tanzania
Marine Parks and Reserves Tanzania brought together ocean experts, policymakers, and sector leaders for a high-impact webinar exploring how Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can drive national and global progress.
From advancing the SDGs and 30x30 targets to boosting tourism and the blue economy, the session highlighted how MPAs are key to building a more resilient ocean and a more sustainable future for Tanzania.
Got a powerful MPA story to tell? WIOMPAN called on scientists, rangers, youth, and local champions to showcase how science—formal or grassroots—is making waves in MPAs and LMMAs across the Western Indian Ocean.