William met with volunteers at the National Maritime Rescue Institute station in Simon’sTown, near Cape Town, before boarding the boat for the short trip to Kalk Bay harbour.Wearing sunglasses and a bright red waterproof jacket, William appeared on the upper deckof the rescue boat as it pulled away from Simon’s Town, the site of South Africa’s largestnaval base.William is in South Africa to promote the Earthshot Environmental Award, which held itsannual awards ceremony in Cape Town on Wednesday evening.Launched in 2021, the award awards US$1.2 million in grants to five climate-friendlycompanies each year.William used the trip to draw attention to a wide range of environmental issues, including thework done by conservation rangers, the threat posed by the illegal wildlife trade, and effortsin Cape Town to protect Table Mountain National Park and its unique plants found nowhereelse in the world.On Thursday, William’s schedule was dedicated to coastal conservation and sustainability,and he disembarked from the rescue boat to meet a group of local fishermen in Kalk Bay.He learnt how they are using new technology to help them fish sustainably and givecustomers more detailed information about where their seafood comes from and how it iscaught.The Prince of Wales trained as a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot and served in a search andrescue unit during his military career and asked Simon’s Town Marine Rescue volunteersabout the training and support they receive.National Sea Rescue Institute CEO Mike Vonk,, who took William on a tour around NSRI‘Station 10’ in Simon’s Town and its main operations room, said: ‘It was a great visit.’
FeaturedNovember 8, 2024