As a gift to the thousands who walk the promenade, the finalists of a special photographic competition are exhibited along the sea wall opposite the Winchester Mansions Hotel, and it is a sight to behold!
The Ocean photographic contest, which ran in the leadup to the Wavescape festival in March, attracted almost 3,000 entries from photographers who submitted work taken at South African locations, including seascapes, underwater shots, as well as marine fauna and flora.
The competition was a collaboration between Wavescape, Orms, Canon and SJ Artists. A panel of judges from the four entities chose 22 of the most poignant aesthetic representations of the joy and wonder of the ocean. The winning image, taken with a GoPro by Capetonian Chris Hitchcock, depicts Lewis Pugh as he swims across False Bay.
To amplify this message of love and ocean awareness, renowned Durban graffiti and mural artist, Kevin Ngwenya, known as Kev Seven, created a colourful artwork on the Milton Road ablutions further down the Sea Point promenade. It’s almost impossible to miss as the artwork grabs your attention with its vibrant message.
Love Ulawandle, which is isiXhosa/ isiZulu for Love the Ocean, conveys a unified and inclusive voice for keeping our oceans clean. The installation was assisted by the South African PET Plastic Recycling Company (Petco), which supports projects that keep plastics from entering the oceans.
Director of the Wavescape Surf & Ocean Festival Shani Judes was proud of the success of the two installations. She said the photo contest was a tough one to judge.
"With such a diverse array of beautiful and moving submissions. After many weeks of careful consideration and thoughtful deliberation, we are proud to present this spectacular selection of the 22 best images," Judes adds.
’’We truly believe that these images have the power to ignite a deeper passion for the wonders of the waters just off our coastline. We hope that revealing this glimpse of what lies beneath the waves will foster in all of us a sense of stewardship for the ocean and all those who call it home,"Jason Omrod from Orms concludes.