By Adil George, Zanzibar
The ocean is part of my everyday life. First of all, it’s a family tradition. My grandfather was a fisherman. His uncle was a fisherman, and my uncles were fishermen. So, we are coming from a family line of fishers. And then my dad’s uncle was a skipper. He used to ship people from Dar es Salam to Zanzibar back in the 50s and 40s. Both sides of my family have been people of the ocean.
I originally wanted to go into fisheries. Actually, my dream was to become an oceanographer. But then the funny story is that my grandfather, on his deathbed, wished that nobody would continue the legacy. And then when I was ready to embark, and that’s like, nine years after he passed away, my dream was to become an oceanographer, and the whole family was against it. They told me, “Your grandfather said; No one should go back to the ocean”.
Now I’m working with the ocean, but what they meant at that time was not to become a sailor, not to become a fisherman, and not to become a skipper. This was because my grandfather used to get lost in the ocean. He would get lost, trying to find what he used to call “the bank”. So, whenever he was broke, he would take a boat, and he would go out to the ocean, following the signs, the signs of the sun, the wind and the clouds. He would be away for about a week, and the whole family would believe him dead. Except my grandmother, who somehow knew he was still alive.
Then after a week, he showed up at the Malindi shore. His boat was like an inch before it capsized. His boat would be full of tuna, kingfish, and Spanish Mackerels. It became his bank until he passed away.
For me and my experience with the ocean, I think it is beautiful. But it’s not something that you can play with. You know, in Swahili we say “Bahari haina bingwa”. Meaning the ocean does not have a champion. Even if you’re a pro, and even if it is your day today, the ocean can take anyone. This is one of the things I have learned about the ocean. For example, when we were young, and our elder brothers wanted to teach us how to swim, they just pushed us and then we survived. So I learned how to swim by survival. I’m not a fast swimmer, but if you drop me in the ocean, I survive.
Now I’m working in the tourism industry, on sustainable tourism. And among the thematic areas is the ocean. It is about how we can protect the ocean, and the activities that are happening on the ocean. And this allows me to go back. I guess my family wishes I did not, but there is nothing they can do about it.
Even to this day, when I see the ocean, my inner kid within shines, and comes out. And it gives me memories of how we used to skip school for the ocean, how we used to skip madrasa for the ocean. My house was a stone’s throw away from the ocean. You knew that when you went home you would be in trouble, but we did it anyway. The ocean was worth it.
So, my job now brought me back to the ocean. And I like taking initiatives to preserve the ocean because it taught me so much about life and work and fun.
“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: © Rahim Saggaf
