Great White Shark Projects

Photo Competition

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:01:00 GMT

Our very first photographic competition!

Past and present clients and volunteers are invited to share their magical experiences with us. Enter your favourite White Shark Projects photograph and you could be a winner.

Perhaps you caught the definitive white shark shot. Or maybe it was the faces of friends or family that captured the moment for you... Let our panel of established adventure photographers choose the winning pics. They'll be looking not only for a high photographic quality, but also for subject matter, composition, and the story told.

Simply use the online entry form to submit your winning entry or email it to photo@whitesharkprojects.co.za including your contact details.

Prizes

First prize: A fully sponsored placement on the White Shark Projects wonderful 21-day volunteer programme.

Second and third place winners will each receive a copy of our White Shark Projects coffee-table book.

Your photograph could help shark conservation

We're going to compile a coffee-table book of the best photographs, giving all photographers due credit. We'll sell these books at our Lodge, and donate the profits to the South African Shark Conservancy. So if your photograph is chosen, you'll be making a contribution to shark conservation!

Competition Rules

The competition is open to previous White Shark Projects clients & volunteers only. (Entrants are required to confirm on which tour they took the photographs.)
Photographs must be the entrant's original work, taken on location during a White Shark Projects tour at any time past or present.
Entrants must be willing to have their photographs reproduced by White Shark Projects for possible use on their websites, annual brochure or posters. We may contact you for higher resolution photographs. The best entries will be used on our website prior to the winner being selected. No photographs will be used for re-sale without the photographers' consent.
The judges' decision is final. Entry deadline is 1 February 2010. The winner will be contacted on 28 February 2010.
Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash and all travel must be booked and completed by December 2011.
The competition is not open to current or previous White Shark Projects staff or associated business partners. However, they may put photographs forward for consideration for use in brochures or on the website etc. These would be fully credited.
The prize excludes international flights and taxes plus ground arrangements.

Conservation

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:49:00 GMT

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Healing powers of the great white - Adrian Hewitt

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:24:00 GMT

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Imvelo Responsible Tourism Award winners

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:39:00 GMT

Congratulations to White Shark Projects
Imvelo Responsible Tourism Award winners

On 12 November, White Shark Projects was announced the winner of the Imvelo Responsible Tourism Award in the category Best Single Resource Management Programme – Waste Management (independent).

The award was made specifically for White Shark Projects' Swop Shop project. The Swop Shop is part of the social development programme that White Shark Projects runs in Maskehane, Gansbaai. It's a recycling project whereby local children collect recyclable waste such as bottles, tins and plastics. They swop bags of waste at the Swop Shop where they 'earn' buying points that they can 'spend' in the shop.

Three bags of bottles might earn them a packet of sugar; or a bag of tins could 'buy' a ruler. The children can 'save up' if they like, for something more expensive like a second-hand jersey. The shop carries only worthwhile stock such as stationery and simple clothing and relies completely on donations. In this way, resources are recycled, the environment is cleaned up, and the children develop a sense of personal achievement.

Other worthy winners include the Drakensburg Sun Hotel; Pafuri Camp in the Kruger Park; Sun International Zambia; the Wild Coast Sun; the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company; and Chairman’s Award winner Voluntours.

A real contribution to responsible tourism
Organised by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA). Imvelo, running for its seventh year, recognises tourism and hospitality businesses that make a real, measurable and sustained contribution to responsible tourism.

The awards are in line with the responsible tourism guidelines for the SA hospitality industry and the UN World Tourism Organisation’s code of ethics, and are supported by the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme.

They have had a strong impact on tourism in South Africa, creating significant awareness of environmental management issues in the industry. 'These environmental issues do not only relate to the natural environment,' says FEDHASA CEO Brett Dungan. 'There is also a strong emphasis on the social and economic environments in which businesses find themselves.'

Congratulations to the entire White Shark Projects team, their Swop Shop volunteers and the children of Masekhane.

For more information contact Charmaine:
email charmaine@whitesharkprojects.co.za
telephone 0837284833

Imvelo responsible tourism awards -Finalists announced

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:14:00 GMT

IMVELO RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARDS –FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The finalists in the 2008 Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards programme, organised by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) have been announced. Imvelo, running for the seventh year, recognises tourism and hospitality
businesses that make a real, measurable and sustained contribution to responsible tourism.

A record number of 134 category entries were received this year. Brett Dungan, chief executive officer of FEDHASA says 20 tourism
businesses made it to the finals in this year’s awards programme. The finalists are Accor Hospitality South Africa, AWOL Tours, the
Drakensberg Sun Resort, the Fish River Sun, Oubaai Golf Resort, Paradise Touring, the Peninsula Hotel, the Sandton Convention Centre, Shiluvari Lakeside Lodge, the Southern Sun Cape Sun Hotel, Stormsriver Adventures, Sun City Resort, the Table Bay Hotel, the Table Mountain Aerial Cable Car Company, The Falls Resort – Zambia, the Vineyard Hotel, Voluntours, White Shark Projects, Wild Coast Sun Resort and Wilderness Safaris: Pafuri Camp.

According to Dungan Imvelo has made a huge impact on tourism in South Africa, creating significant awareness of environmental management issues in the industry.“These environmental issues,” he says, “do not only relate to the natural environment. In fact, there is a strong emphasis on the social and economic environment in which businesses find themselves, especially in the context of modern-day South Africa and the realities around the infrastructure developments and other preparations leading up to 2010.”

Imvelo – which means ‘nature’ in South Africa’s Nguni languages - forms part of an ongoing hospitality industry campaign to encourage industry members to accept voluntary guidelines promoting responsible tourism. The awards are in line with the responsible tourism guidelines for the South African hospitality industry and the UN World Tourism Organisation’s code of
ethics, and are supported by the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme. Awards will be made in the categories Best Social Involvement Programme, Best Practice – Economic Impact, Best Overall Environmental Management System and Best Single Resource Management Programme. An overall Imvelo winner will be selected.

A Chairman’s Award could be made at the discretion of the FEDHASA chairman to any Imvelo entrant or any other organisation in the tourism industry that made a significant contribution to responsible tourism over the past year.

Winners will receive their awards at an awards ceremony to be held in Johannesburg on 12 November.

The 2008 awards are supported by Absa, the Tourism Empowerment Council of South Africa, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, the Industrial Development Corporation and the Johannesburg Tourism Company.

For more information contact Lynda Bacon on tel 011 467 5009 or visit www.imveloawards.co.za

Released by: Martin van Niekerk
Junxion Communications
Tel 012 804 8812
On behalf of: Brett Dungan
FEDHASA
Tel 011 467 5009

Date: 14 October 2008

White Shark Projects New Year's Classic Golf Day to raise funds for Community Projects

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:16:00 GMT

White Shark Projects New Year's Classic Golf Day to raise funds for Community Projects

White Shark Projects have raised R40 000 in their annual golf day in aid of Community Projects in Gansbaai on the 29th December at the Kleinbaai Golf Course.

According to one of the owners of White Shark Projects, Charmaine Beukes, the company, its agents and service providers have gone out of their way to generate at least 20% more this year. This year the funds will be distributed between the Recycle Swop Shop, Silwerjare Service Centre and Heidehof. "We are at the end of another successful year and would proudly like to generate as much money as possible towards these worthy cause."

120 Players, including sponsors, clients and service providers took part in the day, which is structured on a fourball alliance stapleford format. "A golf tournament is also not a golf tournament without prizes," says Beukes. "We had approximately 150 prizes, which included awards for the closest to the pin and the longest drive."

The 18-hole round of golf was followed by the prize giving, an auction and Spitbraai with Dance. The owners & staff of White Shark Projects would like to thank all the local as well as Cape Town companies for their generous support.

The 27th of December 2008 is definitely a day to mark in your golfing dairy.

Gansbaai Boasts with own Recycle Swop Shop

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:38:00 GMT

After being taught about Recycling for a whole term, the Maskehane Kids were bursting with excitement at yesterday's launch of the Swop Shop. 150 Eager children pledged to keep Maskehane clean by putting their hands in paint and 'signing' on the doors of the Swop Shop.

This project in Gansbaai was an imitative of White Shark Projects. Singa Sukwana and Mandla Ngazini of White Shark Projects gave weekly lectures throughout the term at the schools in Maskehane, teaching children what recycling is and why we should recycle.

The Swop Shop is the brain child of Marilyn van der Velden, she came up with an unusual and effective way of teaching the young to take care of the environment, and to teach them some basic economic skills in 2003. For this creative effort she has been awarded with the Major's Award as well. Any child of any age, even as young as two years, as long as they can carry a bag, is encouraged to collect litter in the community, and bring it to the "Swop Shop". They are then given points according to the amount and weight of what they bring. With these points they can then "purchase" pencils and notebooks, or toiletries like soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, or even clothes. These are items they need. The Swop Shops are very popular with the children, and at the same time they are learning to clean up their environment. It's different, and it's making a difference.

The Shop will be open every Tuesday afternoon from 2:00 pm. Children receive their own card to record their collections ("earnings"). When they have finished sorting their collectables they then can shop at the "swop shop". Using their card to record their collections, children learn how to save to buy larger items the following week. When children have collected more than 10 bags per month, they become eligible to join outings.

The Swop Shop operates solely through donation & volunteer activity. Any donations will be welcomed € used clothing can be donated as well. If you have time to share or have something to give to the program which might assist us, please contact Charmaine Beukes on 083728433. (Gansbaai) or Marilyn 0842407425 (Hermanus)

Never too old for adventure

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 07:59:00 GMT

Four elderly sisters are proving you are never too old for adventure - by following up their skydiving escapade with cage-diving among sharks. Aged from 76 to 86, the four Hitchcock sisters are due to take the plunge in Gansbaai on Friday.

Betty Niewoudt, 86, Anne Spies, 84, Joan Fourie, 78, and Babs Mare, 76, originally the Hitchcock sisters from De Aar, first enjoyed the adrenalin of a parachute jump last year.

'I know I'm going to be scared' "It started with my sister (Anne) saying that she wanted to do a parachute jump," said Betty. "Then she talked us all into it and we all did it. We all did individual jumps. It was a bit frightening, but very adventurous.

"There is a bit of a free fall until the parachute opens and then you go down slowly. Then you come down to the ground and all the people on the ground are waving. It's lovely," she added.

Their next adventure was fairly sedate by comparison - hot-air ballooning in Bloemfontein in February.

Then during a television interview they vowed to do a cage dive among sharks.

By chance Charmaine Beukes, a partner in White Shark Projects, saw the show and managed to track them down.

"My father was a policeman, so I did a bit of detective work and managed to find them," Beukes explained.

The company invited the foursome to Gansbaai for the hair-raising thrill of diving with Great Whites.

"I'm very excited about the dive," Betty said.

"I've seen sharks in the aquarium and on TV, but never like this. I know I'm going to be scared, but I suppose we'll be in a cage and there's no real danger."

When not going on extreme adventures with her sisters, Betty Niewoudt "keeps out of mischief" with long walks, gardening, table tennis and music concerts.

"I have four grandchildren and they all just laugh and wish us the best of luck. But they probably think we're a bit mad."

Beukes said the day would begin with a breakfast and a debriefing before the boat is launched at around 9am.

The cage dive will take place at Shark Alley, Dyer Island, near Gansbaai, and each diver will be in the water for 10 to 20 minutes.

News

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:52:00 GMT

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