By Harrison Ong’anda, Kenya
My first memory of the ocean was when I visited my uncle in Mombasa in 1983. This was way back when I was still in high school. One day my uncle took me to the beach, and I could see that the beach was fairly dry, but as we continued to stay there, I could see the water rising.
It was amazing. It was a surprise to me that a huge amount of water could recede from the shoreline and then come back. With no experience in oceanography, I just took it as one of the wonders of life.
Generally, the ocean means a lot to me. All my livelihood activities are based on the ocean. Principally because I am a marine scientist, so whatever I do, I always encounter an element of the ocean in my life. But above and beyond that, I am very passionate about ocean food. Seafood, fish, you name it. But gradually I have learned that the ocean is much more than just fish. There are so many non-fish products here in Kenya, for example seaweed farming and oyster farming. These are all significant livelihood opportunities that the ocean presents.
I am also learning that the linkages to the ocean extend much further than the communities who live next to the sea. An example is the conference tourism that I’ve seen happening in Mombasa, where groups of professionals for example, teachers all the way from Western Kenya, every other year come to hold big conferences in Mombasa. I think what is driving them is the ocean.
Throughout my career I have been doing some work with fishing communities, and I found it quite interesting – particularly those communities that are quite insulated – especially the ones up north in Lamu. All their lives are just moving around the ocean. To them, the day begins and ends with the ocean. Their knowledge of the ocean is immense.
We had a scary experience once, when we went out to do some oceanographic sampling and we ran into a big storm. We started drifting into the high seas and lost communication for two days. That’s when you discover that the ocean water is actually a big stream moving in some direction. It was monsoon season, and the currents were very strong drifting north towards Somalia. Luckily, we got saved and towed by the Navy.
To conclude, the ocean is quite central in my life. Professionally, but also for socializing and recreation. It is quite enjoyable, sitting on a beach by the ocean with your family, enjoying the ocean breeze. That is when I appreciate the need to have a holistic ocean environment, well planned and managed sustainably.
“Journeys to the Sea” is a new series of inspiring stories that highlight the personal connections of marine professionals with the ocean. As a follow up to World Oceans Day on June 8th, WIOMSA is excited to launch a three-month-long celebration dedicated to the ocean. The series will feature 34 unique stories from across the Western Indian Ocean region. These stories will share firsthand accounts of ocean-related experiences, reflections, and narratives from participants who have been part of the Sida-funded International Training Programme on marine spatial planning, “Planning for a Sustainable Blue Future in the Western Indian Ocean”. The stories have been part of the Ocean Storytelling component of the workshop, led by Dr Mia Strand, Nelson Mandela University. Read the collection of stories here.
Feature photo: Small Scale fishers offloading catch in Ngomeni, Kenya, © SOLTICE -WIO
