MARIGOT–More than 200 Collège students set sail for Tintamarre Island today, Wednesday, for the annual Sea Discovery Day organised by French-side marine trades association Métimer.
Logistically, the event is a huge undertaking requiring the use of some 20 motor vessels or sailing catamarans provided by volunteer skippers to transport students, teachers, equipment and food for the lunch on the island, and water-sport equipment such as snorkels and fins, paddleboards, kayaks, windsurfers, and equipment for beach volleyball or beach tennis and football.
Club Wind Adventures representatives will be helping and supervising the water-sports activities.
The students will depart from Fort Louis Marina, the Ferries departure dock and French Cul-de-Sac. Réserve Naturelle rangers will teach the students in the morning about flora and fauna and preserving fragile marine eco-systems. After lunch the students will enjoy water-sports and swimming before cleaning up the beach at 3:00pm and boarding the boats to return to St. Martin at 3:30pm.
“The objective is to expose the youth to the sea and marine environment and instil awareness of the importance of preserving our natural resources,” said Métimer coordinator Alexina Paya. “They will enjoy being out in nature, sailing on a boat which some may have never done before. The hope is that they will also be attracted in the future to learning a trade in the marine industry or becoming a skipper.”
The approximately 20,000-euro cost of the excursion is financed by Commissariat General a L’Egalite des Territoires (CGET), the Collectivité of St. Martin, and Métimer.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/83089-200-college-students-set-to-enjoy-sea-discovery-day
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