A whale of a weekend at Ansteys Beach

Around 5000 people made their way to Ansteys Beach to celebrate the return of the Welcoming of The Whales Festival.

1 minute ago

Dillon Pillay 2 minutes read

Joshua Horsley gets interesting lesson from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's Balungile Sibiya on the turtle's shell. — Joshua Horsley gets an interesting lesson from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's Balungile Sibiya on the turtle's shell. Photos: Dillon Pillay

THE Welcoming of the Whales Festival returned to Ansteys Beach on The Bluff for the weekend of June 26 to 28. The event, hosted by the Sodurba Tourism Association, attracted around 5000 people.

Also read: WATCH: Whales festival on the horizon

This annual celebration marks the arrival of whales along the KwaZulu-Natal coast. The festival featured a variety of family entertainment, local markets, arts and crafts stalls, food vendors and educational displays focused on marine environmental protection.

Miss Winter Angel South Africa Fizzle Ngcobo signs her pledge to protect the ocean.

What is the festival about?

According to Sodurba chairperson Amanda Janse van Rensburg, the festival’s purpose extends beyond just watching whales.

“The festival is about bringing the community together while promoting environmental awareness, tourism, local businesses, arts and crafts, and family-friendly entertainment. It creates a platform for local entrepreneurs, artists, and community organisations to showcase what they have to offer, while encouraging people to appreciate and protect our beautiful marine environment,” she said.

Kiara Jenkins has a blast playing a fishing game.

Janse van Rensburg added that being able to bring back the festival was very important to her.

“After the disappointment of having to cancel the festival last year, being able to bring it back this year was incredibly rewarding. There were many challenges behind the scenes, but seeing the community come together and enjoy the event made all the hard work worthwhile. It reminded us of the importance of community spirit and the positive impact events like these have on local businesses, families, and tourism,” she said.

Mbuso Dlamini pushes through the defence to get to the ball in one of the beach soccer games.

A successful return

Janse van Rensburg also expressed her gratitude to all sponsors, exhibitors, vendors, volunteers and service providers for having a hand in this festival, and extended special thanks to attendees who made the event the great success it was.

Emily Ganess has some fun in the sun with the hoola hoops.

German visitors Sandra Beinbauer and Brigitte Weidenthaler enjoy a tour of the old whaling station on The Bluff.

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