SOUTH AFRICA

Love for the ocean runs deep

It all began in South Africa — where love for the ocean runs deep, and the call to protect it is woven into the spirit and hearts of its people.

In 2021, a group of passionate ocean guardians came together with a vision: to honour the blue heart of our planet through the first national celebration of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

They dreamed of a day that would not only raise awareness, but ignite pride — a day to celebrate the life beneath the waves, the communities who depend on it, and the generations still to come.

1 August was no ordinary date. It marked the moment — in 2019 — when South Africa took a bold stand for the sea, granting legal protection to 20 new or expanded MPAs. A landmark in marine conservation. A promise to the future.

MPA Day is more than a date. It is a movement born of South African waters — that they have lovingly shared with the world.