Who is the ocean for? If we find home in the ocean, will we be able to better protect it?

Meet the real-life Ariel, ‘’The Black Mermaid’’ Zandile Ndhlovu, who is changing the perception of the ocean in her Cape Town community since 2016, when she fell in love with freediving.

Zandi is South Africa's first black female free diving instructor and the founder of the Black Mermaid Foundation, an organization seeking to create diverse representation in the ocean spaces. Her work centers around enabling access to ocean spaces to local ocean facing communities.

She hopes to diversify ocean spaces recreationally, professionally and in sport while creating a new generation of ocean guardians. As a diversity and inclusion consultant, she has contributed to global topics that include ocean conservation, climate change, coastal justice and capacitating the youth to participate in the Blue Economy.

In partnership with WaterBear, she’s released a documentary which seeks to encourage people of colour to consume more content that pushes them to get involved with reclaiming the ocean and, ultimately, protecting it.

Tune in as we talk reclaiming the ocean, plastic pollution, wise grandmothers and more.

Useful Links:

An interview with Zandi in the Guardian

Condé Nast Traveler Interview

The original documentary ''The Black Mermaid''

Connect with Zandi:

Instagram @zandithemermaid @theblackmermaid_foundation

Twitter @Blackmermaid_F

The Black Mermaid Foundation website

Connect with Gizem:

Instagram @saving_planet_a_podcast

Twitter @Saving_PlanetA

LinkedIn

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