Celebrating our year of adventures!

Written by Abi March

It’s been a busy year at the Academy by the Sea; 35 students completed a Level 1 programme on Mahe last August and 16 of these students took part in the Level 2 programme on D’Arros in April. With so much knowledge gained and fun times had during their adventures, the students wanted to share their experiences with the general public. Since returning from D’Arros they have spent weekends preparing work for an exhibition which would highlight key facts they had learnt and the exciting things they had encountered.

The Academy by the Sea exhibition

The exhibition opened on Saturday 6th July at the National Library in Victoria. Students Anthea Laurence and Joshua Sofola welcomed guests and spoke about their experiences at the Academy by the Sea. Everyone then watched the first public showing of the Save Our Seas Foundation film about the Academy by the Sea: D’Arros Expedition. It was the first time the students had seen the video and they were very excited and it brought back great memories for us all.

Academy by the Sea students enjoying the SOSF D’Arros video AGAIN!

The students also received their Academy by the Sea Level 2 certificate. Art teacher Andy Alvis, who came to D’Arros and helped prepare the exhibition, then cut the ribbon with Anthea and opened the exhibition. The public gathered around and marvelled at the work and photos on display; information about the SOSF five key threats, details about activities we did, blogs, poems, artwork, all nestled in between hundreds of images documenting their adventure!

The public viewing the exhibition about what’s been going on at the Academy by the Sea

To view the SOSF film about Academy by the Sea at D’Arros, visit: http://vimeo.com/69096172 To watch the exhibition opening ceremony and see more photos from the exhibition and the last year, visit our facebook page ‘Academy by the Sea, Seychelles’. Many thanks to everyone who attended the exhibition, it will be on display in the lobby at the National Library until Monday 5th August.

A big thank you to art teacher Andy Alvis who helped prepare the exhibition

After a year of adventures at the Academy by the Sea, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made the last year a huge success: all the students who have attended the programmes, staff and volunteers at MCSS, Dive Seychelles Underwater Centre, Beau Vallon Berjaya Hotel, GVI Seychelles, Banyan Tree Hotel and Resort, D’Arros Research Centre, Danah Divers, WiseOceans, Manta Trust and a massive thank you to Save Our Seas Foundation. With the entries for the next Level 1 programme now in, I can’t wait to see what the year ahead brings!