THE KELP KEEPER
Belmond’s Mount Nelson hotel in Cape Town offers a fresh perspective on seaweed with a new undersea safari.
South African marine biologist Justin Blake wishes everyone loved kelp forests the way he does, but he understands the trepidation. “It’s a bit eerie,” he admits, “even a bit creepy when it touches or bumps into you.” Clients who book his Marine Biologist for a Day expedition, available exclusively through Cape Town’s Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, join Blake on a pontoon kitted out with snorkeling gear, wet suits, hot drinks, and snacks, plus a big tub of warm fresh water that helps bring feeling back into limbs that have been exposed to the icy cold surf for periods of 15 minutes or longer.
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Blake’s aim on his expeditions is to replace kelp’s reputation of trepidation with one of environmental marvel. He introduces visitors to the Great African Seaforest, which is one of the world’s most productive and diverse marine ecosystems. Hugging the coast from Cape Town up through Namibia, this underwater jungle is home to millions of creatures, including many fish species that aren’t found anywhere else on the planet. Kelp—which most people know by its street name, seaweed—is a long, flat algae plant with brown and green leaves that look like ribbons and are attached to a stem-like
structure called a stipe. It can stretch to 30 feet high and grows quickly (up to 18 inches a day) in dense groupings, like trees in a forest. Another forest-like feature: a canopy at the top of these towers provides food and shelter for thousands of fish and marine mammals. And while the leaves may not change color, kelp is affected by seasonal weather and can be damaged and dislodged by storms, requiring a period of new growth. At the moment, Blake is one of a few people in the world who have dedicated themselves to studying and preserving this exceptional ecosystem. Kelp forests play a crucial role
Courtesy Images Clockwise From Top: Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel/Steve Benjamin (4); Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel/Justin Blake (3)
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