EnviroKids 38 Marine & Blue Flag Summer 2017

I love my job!

Q&A with three ocean fanatics...

Dickie Chivell Dickie has turned his passion for the ocean into an exciting and meaningful career as a skipper, scuba diver and marine conservationist. What does a skipper do? I captain boats for shark, whale

watching and eco tours. I also work for the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, where I help with research projects, like tagging great white sharks.

How did you become a skipper? I completed two different boat skipper licences, got practical experience working as a deckhand, and did courses in firefighting, first aid and radio protocol. I¶ve done lots of scuba diving courses, a whale disentanglement course, and I’m a video editor. You need to be at least 16 to become a skipper, but you can start on some of the other courses at an earlier age.

Main photo: © Chris Fallows, Other (2): © Dickie Chivell

We heard that you once pretended to be a shark… Yes, this was an experiment with the Discovery Channel crew, for Shark Week a few years ago, and it was really exciting! We wanted to see how sharks would react to a life-sized shark cut-out. It was done in a very controlled environment with shark experts, so don’t try this at home!

“I love the adventure of exploring the sea, and how I can make people happy by showing them our country’s awesome marine life.”

Search ‘Great White Shark with Dickie Chivell’ on YouTube for

some footage of Dickie at Shark Alley off Gansbaai.

Mzikayise Jacobs Mzikayise works on beaches around Cape Town as a senior lifeguard for the City of Cape Town. His quick thinking and heroic actions have saved many lives. Your work is so very important. Rescuing people from drowning is top priority, but what other situations have you faced? I’ve been working as a lifeguard since 1999. In those 18 years, we’ve had some unusual incidents like people falling from rocks or needing help with sunburn. How can I become a lifeguard? Anyone over 16 can become a lifeguard! There are 16 clubs around Cape Town alone, where you can learn about rescue techniTues, first aid and important

14 EnviroKids Vol. 38(4), Summer 2017