First lectures at Moroccan schools in Tangier!
by firmm Team
Following an invitation from the French Lyssée Régnault and the Ecole Berchet we went to Tangier today with the first morning ferry. Dominique Geysen, a volunteer, who supports firmm since more than 6 years wherever and whenever he is needed, came along with me. During the last few years he gave lectures about the whales and dolphins living in the Strait of Gibraltar in Spanish schools to more than 20'000 children. Thanks to him, we also have had many representatives of the Medio Ambiente - that is the Spanish department for environmental protection - on our research boat in Tarifa, as well as a lot of Spanish schools. Being from Belgium, Dominique speaks French perfectly, so it was obvious that he accompanied me.
In the morning we managed a 2-hour program in front of 50 teenagers at the age of 16 years. Everybody, the students and the teachers, were very surprised when we presented them the 7 different species of whales and dolphins living in the Strait of Gibraltar.
An impressive lecture about the dangers and threats, to which the whales and dolphins are exposed nowadays, completed the program before the break. Afterwards we presented the planned Dolphin Resort in the bay of Sidi Kankouch, which is known by everyone in Tangier. At the end we showed an extract from our DVD about a boat trip to the whales and dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar. Subsequent to the lectures the students asked some very interesting questions, which Dominique answered in a brilliant way.
After a short lunch break with a typical Tajine, we gave another lecture to 50 pupils at the age of 10 years. Never before did I speak in front of such an interested class, which involved itself in such an excited way, wanting to know everything. They were marvelled again and again when they heard about all the marine mammals living right next to them.
It was such a delight and at the end, when we still had time for questions, they asked Dominique a lot of really good questions. They cannot wait to be able to visit us in our Dolphin Resort. Inshallah!
- KH -