Page 17 - Holidays with Kids - Volume 62 (January 2020)

REPORT

Water World

aleney de winter investigates the rise of marine-based
tourism, and how it is encouraging kids to become the
world’s loudest and most passionate ocean advocates.

promised you a turtle,” says Andy happening out there. We need people to
Ridley, Co-Founder of global come to the reef and experience it so that
“Imovement Earth Hour and founding they can go away and together we can
CEO of Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef. change the world. I know afterwards, we’re
“Yes, you did,” replies 11-year-old Raff. going to have Citizens of the Great Barrier
True to his word, just a few short minutes Reef talking more about that,” she said.
later Andy delivers, as he and Raff glide over Ridley, who is a father to two boys aged six
Agincourt Reef, three green sea turtles and 10, is continually amazed and inspired by
weaving nonchalantly under and around how much children absorb and take away
them. Raff is so excited by the sight of the trio when they experience the Great Barrier Reef,
of ancient mariners, he bursts from the water which he describes as nature at its grandest
squealing. It’s a phenomenon he tells me, that and most complex.
he likes to call “coral screeching”. The reef caters for all, from professional
Happily, this phenomenon has no adverse divers who can go on an epic live-aboard out
impact on the reef. Quite the contrary. His to the Coral Sea to a five-year-old who can
tête-à-tête with the turtles has made him an venture out for a snorkel on one of the reef’s
even more vocal, and loud, advocate for the family-friendly vessels like Quicksilver or
protection of the Great Barrier Reef and his immerse themselves for days at kid-friendly
flippered friends. Fitzroy Island. And, just like Morris, Ridley
believes that tourism can help protect it.
Getting it right “While I believe kids can be passionate
about protecting our reef without having
for the reef visited, I know from my kids’ perspective that
There’s no question that kids are some of the they become much more vocal advocates
loudest and most passionate advocates of our once they have seen what it is they are
oceans and Raff is just one of an increasing fighting to protect,” he says.
number of kids whose passion has seen Needless to say, when Nickelodeon
a worldwide rise of marine-based tourism. approached Ridley about lending SpongeBob
And when done right, tourism can play an SquarePants’ power of positivity to the cause,
enormous part in protecting the oceans for he leapt at the chance. Through their Junior
future generations. At the Australian Society Citizens of the Reef program, Nickelodeon and
of Travel Writers 2019 Convention held in Citizens have successfully transformed
October in Cairns, Wendy Morris, Chair of complex information about the reef and the
Tropical Tourism North Queensland, declared impacts of pollution in a way that empowers
apathy the reef’s biggest threat. children to understand the actions they can
“Every person that visits the reef is helping take to help, and give them the confidence to
to support us to understand what’s actually share their views.