Life alongside the deep blue

By Jax Bath

Hi, my name is Jax Bath and I am a whale watching guide by trade for Ivanhoe Sea Safaris and an ocean enthusiast by chance. I grew up in the landlocked Johannesburg, and although our holiday’s down to the sea were always my favorite Christmas or Easter break, I never believed that I might end up working on the ocean.

Growing up, my aspiration was to work in the Kruger National Park as a field guide. In 2016, I ended up on a whale watching boat instead and now, I could not imagine a life that does not revolve around the ocean. I have worked as a whale watching guide for 4 years and spent 3 months in the Seychelles working with the endangered Hawksbill Turtle. I spend most of my afternoons walking the cliff paths of De Kelders in search of ocean life, and will seize every opportunity I can to get into the water.

Starting this week, I will be writing a weekly round up of oceanic news. Most of the articles will focus on the wonders of Walker Bay and what we see when we take a boat trip, kayak trip or a dive in the bay. During weeks where we cannot go to sea, I will also be writing about time spent with turtles, or catch up with other ocean lovers and sharing their interesting tales with you.

I really hope that you will enjoy the upcoming stories and walk away having learned a thing or two about the wonders of the deep. The ocean is vast and largely explored, with scientists still discovering new phenomena daily. Before every whale watching trip, most operators will say in one way or another, that we never know what we might find. This may come across as a bit disingenuous at times, but as crew members, we know that every day on the ocean is a chance to see something you have never seen before. This is the joy of working, watching and writing about the sea. Every week there is sure to be some unique experience worth sharing.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 23)