Under the sea

“Dilly, silly and plain old passionate about the ocean.” That is how the folks at Tidal Tao describe themselves; they believe if you can swim, they can teach you to snorkel. Snorkelling is a popular activity, but how many of us know that an underwater wonderland exists right here on the Dolphin Coast, between Ballito and Sheffield Beach? 

Sometimes there are the most amazing adventures waiting for us, right here on our doorstep, and we don’t even know it. But with a little bit of help from social media we found another inspiring way to spend time on the beach. Tidal Tao is a local company that offers snorkelling around the most amazing spots; they cover quite a few different snorkel options and so cater for everyone. We were very intrigued with the option of night snorkelling, but with winter being a bit chilly at night that will have to wait for summer to ensure the very best enjoyment. They also have moonlight night walks once a month, which is such a cool activity for the whole family.

Lucille and Roxann were invited to experience some low tide snorkelling at the coolest little spot. Tidal Tao has
snorkel gear and wetsuits available for hire at very reasonable rates, so no excuses. They swam in the gullies,
getting up close to interesting little creatures, critters and plants. When chatting to Tidal Tao’s Michy Morris
I said we travel the world and have snorkelled in exotic locations like Thailand and Mauritius, but we forget
about our own backyard and all that it has to offer. Apparently we have one of the best spots in the world – our sea life is still beautiful, vibrant and very much comparable to the best snorkelling spots out there.

Michy is very passionate about nature, the sea and all the creatures in it. While snorkelling is beautiful and gives you
a very different perspective of the underwater world, Michy believes in leaving everything as you find it: enjoy it,
admire it, but don’t disturb nature. It’s all about snorkelling! “There is an amazing wilderness in our ocean! We have found tidal pools filled with corals and unusual creatures, watched dolphins surfing the back line and been awed by whales breaching offshore,” says Michy. Tidal Tao is Michy’s passion – she’s a surfer girl extraordinaire and critterspotter of note; and Duncan Pritchard, with a serious background in bird watching, non-profit organizations and land based conservationst who has worked in conservation and tourism across the globe. “We started Tidal Tao
with the vision of getting people into the water, hoping it would help people appreciate our marine life more. And
it works.” According to Michy, putting on a mask and snorkel opens up an entirely new world. “People are amazed,
in awe and start understanding the rich life we have on our coast. This is a wildlife refuge, bigger than any national park or game reserve, which is readily accessible. It is home to the rare Elegant Pipefish (a member of the
seahorse family) and nudibranchs (an incredibly colourful, charismatic family of sea slugs) some of which have not
yet been discovered by science. It is also an important nursery ground for a huge variety of marine species. This
stretch of coast is also home to some of the southern most shallow water hard corals in the world. Humpbacked Whales undertake an ancient migration past our shores each year. Whale sharks, dolphins, turtles; they are all here, we live in a very special place.”

Conservation is a huge part of why they do this: this is especially relevant around areas with coral growth that can receive the protection it deserves. Most of the damage to coral along the North Coast is purely out of a lack of awareness. People simply do not recognise the coral for what it is; an animal, not a rock, an endangered species, not something you should innocently stand on. Fishing lines can also smother it. Coral is protected in South Africa; you are not allowed to remove coral from the ocean, dead or alive, our corals are special. The rock pools around Chaka’s Rock are particularly rich in coral diversity. The main tidal pool at Chaka’s Rock has at least 15 different species of coral, which is really remarkable. The forms and colours are so varied from pretty blue to pink and brown branching corals. They can easily be seen from the surface but their beauty is truly revealed when you put on a mask and snorkel, to look closely at their delicate structure.

If you look through the Tidal Tao website, their absolute passion for the area and the sea is so obvious: “We argue that a live octopus is worth a lot more than a dead one. We want
to create alternative, sustainable livelihoods, especially for rural people who rely on coastal resources for their
living. Tourism is a great, well-tested model for adding value to our coastline in a sustainable way. Imagine coastal
slack packing trails between Tinley Manor and Ballito with readymade picnic breakfasts half way, rocky shore
walks, snorkelling tours, wilderness experiences, environmental education programs over school holidays, a host of
opportunities come to mind, all of which are perfectly suited to small, community owned SMMEs. Suddenly a mussel bed, a crayfish, an octopus, a pool full of fish are a LOT more valuable alive.” The North Coast isn’t just a party
town, or a place with nice beaches and golf courses. It’s an ‘environmental consciousness’ area and we should
harness the value of natural assets as a high value product. Success will rely on a community of excited, committed,
proud individuals who share our vision. Our conservation work is undertaken in partnership with the Wilderness
Leadership School. Tidal Tao has more than 50 years’ experience and with every snorkel trip, they give a percentage back to research.

An hour or two spent in the sea snorkelling got us thinking and you realise sometimes just getting out into nature is a huge stress reliever; it just makes you feel better. But, snorkelling takes mental health benefits even further: the controlled mouth breathing required of snorkelers is similar to many of the meditative breathing techniques that seek to relax and calm the body (such as yoga). Snorkelling is also a very fun activity especially when you encounter the most colourful creatures on earth.“It’s a fun way to practice mindfulness while exercising,” says Michy.

We loved our morning out in the sea chatting to Michy, seeing what’s “under the sea” and just learning from this lady
with incredible passion and knowledge. We will definitely be back!

For more information email your request to: snorkel@tidaltao.com or sms “snorkel” to 079 307 0608 and
they will call you back, “as soon as humanly possible!”