Ep. 27: Saving Seals and Inspiring the Masses with Naude Dreyer from Ocean Conservation Namibia
In this episode of The Ocean Impact Podcast we caught up with Naude Dreyer from Ocean Conservation Namibia via Instagram Live to learn more about the incredible work Naude and his team are doing to rescue entangled seals from Pelican Point near Walvis Bay in Namibia.
Growing up with conservation in his blood, Naude was always passionate about protecting innocent wildlife from human impacts but it was first hand exposure to the increasing problem of seal entanglement on kayak tours near Pelican Point that inspired him to make it his life’s work. Now Naude along with his family and a growing tribe of supporters make it a regular mission to visit the local seal colony (of 30,000-60,000 seals), carefully identify entangled individuals before embarking on a spectacular race to intercept the seal before they make their way back into the ocean. Over 1200 seals have been rescued to date.
The seals Naude rescues are playful creatures that unfortunately find themselves entangled in the increasing plastic and fishing pollution from the local shipping/ fishing port. What is initially a fun game becomes a life sentence for these seals, unless of course Naude and his team come to the rescue. The seals are not a protected or endangered species and are often seen as a pest, taking fish that would otherwise be stock for local fisheries - creating long term change is Naude’s mission but it won’t be easy.
It’s not uncommon to find passionate conservationists in communities the world over who make it their mission to to rescue, rehabilitate and protect wildlife. What makes Naude unique is that he has taken to documenting each rescue and providing a data driven insight into the problem in this small patch of Planet Ocean. Naude, armed with a GoPro and some basic video editing skills has rapidly amassed a YouTube following of over 245,000 subscribers to his Ocean Conservation Namibia account and 82,000 followers to his @namib_naude account (at 16th Sept 2020).
We salute Naude for his inspirational efforts in showing the impact one person can make on Planet Ocean and the innocent creatures who call it home.
For more information on Naude Dreyer and how you can help his efforts with Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN):
Follow Naude on Instagram Follow OCN on Instagram Subscribe to OCN on YouTube Support OCN via Patreon Donate via Go Get Funding Ocean Conservation Namibia Website.
Click below to listen to this episode on:
Spotify - Soundcloud - Apple Podcasts - Youtube
