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September 20th • Environment & Conservation

Hermanus Whale Festival

Every September, the town of Hermanus in South Africa hosts the world's only enviro-Arts festival. It celebrates the annual migration of Southern Right Whales, which come incredibly close to the shore to breed and give birth. The festival combines live music and art with serious ocean conservation education. Today, we debate the ethics of eco-tourism, the human fascination with giants of the deep, and whether we are doing enough to protect the world's oceans from noise and plastic pollution.

A whale tail breaching the ocean surface

Speaking Discussion

  • Why do you think humans are so deeply fascinated by whales? Is it their size, their intelligence, or their mystery?
  • Have you ever been whale-watching or seen a massive animal in the wild? How did it make you feel?
  • Do you think eco-tourism (visiting natural areas to see wildlife) actually helps conservation, or does it just disturb the animals?
  • What is the biggest threat to our oceans today? Is it plastic, overfishing, or climate change?
  • Should the ocean be considered a global commons that belongs to everyone, or should countries have strict ownership of their waters?
  • If you could communicate one message to a whale, what would you want to ask them?

Activity 1: The save the seas Campaign

The Task: You are an Environmental Activist. You need to design a social media campaign to stop plastic pollution in whale migration routes.

What is your slogan and your main call to action?

Activity 2: Rapid Fire Sentences

Complete the sentence and justify it in 20 seconds.

  • "The ocean is important because..."
  • "I think humans and animals should..."
  • "In my opinion, conservation is..."