Cape Town - In a film that documents the journey of six environmentally conscious individuals around the world, Cape Town’s very own marine biologist narrates his journey to conserving the 'Great African Kelp Forest'.
The new film, “Free Range Humans: Nature Is Calling”, which features international eco-activists, sees Loyiso Dunga showcase how his love for the underwater forests began.
Dunga grew up in the mountainous region of the Wild Coast in Nqabarha, in the Eastern Cape. The film traces how his profound interest in nature came about and how his grandfather played a vital role in his calling.
“I’ve been fascinated by science since I was a child,” said Dunga. “I grew up in Khayelitsha and used to play with my peers in a wetland that flows into a drain. We all had various skin rashes, and whenever we were caught playing in this wetland, our parents used to punish us harshly.
“I couldn’t help but wonder what it was about the water that made us sick, and why our parents only punished us without teaching us about the causes. I taught myself that if I wanted to become a scientist and solve this mystery and other world problems, I must work hard,” said Dunga.
He claims that his passion for the sea also stems from his grandfather’s concern for the environment.
“Perhaps, caring for the environment is in my blood. My grandfather tracked the forests and the ocean for traditional medicine, and he often told my mother (who forbade me from becoming a marine biologist) that ‘lo mntwana ubiziwe lulwandle/this boy has been called by the ocean,’ and my grandfather taught me that the concept of Ubuntu is much deeper than it appears on the surface,“ said Dunga.
With his love for the water growing on him, he went on to study environmental and water science at UWC and dedicated his life to educating people about the importance of underwater kelp.
Dunga said the first episode of the movie would show how the marine jungles help people because kelp makes more than half of the oxygen in the air and keeps people alive.
“All plants eat carbon dioxide (CO2) in the process called photosynthesis. Kelps are plants, too, and they also love to eat CO2 and take in sunlight in order to grow. When they are full, they burp/blech the oxygen we cannot live without. They also absorb CO2 from the water surrounding them. This is how they make more than half of the oxygen we breathe.
“They provide shelter to many marine species and protect the coast from erosion, and, because they grow so quickly, they help to mitigate the effects of climate change. When kelp dies, some of the CO2 it consumes is buried in the depths of the oceans.
“Climate change, over-harvesting of kelp, and over-fishing of important species that maintain the necessary balance in kelp forests are all putting pressure on kelp forests. Unfortunately, we as humans are the primary source of these pressures, including the introduction of alien species.
“There are many people that do not even know about kelp forests. This, for me, is the greatest threat,” said Dunga.
With South Africa being the centre stage for the global roll-out of the film, in order to serve as a wake-up call to humanity to reconnect with nature, the director of the episode, Arthur Neumeier, said that shooting the film taught him so much more than he expected.
“There have been many special moments during this shoot, from meeting Loyiso’s family in Khayelitsha to exploring the underwater forests, but the one moment that truly stood out was the moment where Loyiso took his blind grandfather back to the ocean, a place that he loved so much but had not been to in the last 20 years.
“I have been diving in these kelp forests for about two years now, but working on the film project by Corona Studios with Loyiso and the team taught me so much more about these incredible ecosystems. It was a beautiful adventure with lots of underwater time, connecting with the sea,” said Neumeier.
Aiming to create awareness, Dunga said one of the key lessons he took from the film is hope, as he believes that humans are smart enough to turn the ship around and find alternative sustainable means to lessen the incredible amount of pressure placed on the planet.
“The planet we live on is rich in biodiversity. The term biodiversity is important here. We need diverse people, diverse ideas, diverse cultures, and diverse sets of knowledge to win the fight to save our planet. The kelp keeper in the Cape Flats, the kelp keeper in impoverished communities, and the kelp keeper in all of us are very close to my heart.
“I am convinced that unless we find a way to quickly reconnect all people to their environment, we will fail to combat the world’s declining kelp forests and many other critical ecosystems,” said Dunga.