East African Ocean Explorers

It takes a village to protect an ocean. 🌊🤝 Last year, Bahari Yetu Festival brought together over 500 community members, students, and volunteers from across the Lamu Archipelago to champion marine sustainability. Through 🎨 art, talent, and education, we are ensuring that the future of our fisheries and coral reefs is in good hands. The countdown🧮 to this year's festival has officially begun! We invite partners, sponsors, and ocean lovers to join us as we make this year even bigger. Whether you're a student, a fisher🎣, a conservationist, or just someone who loves the sea, there’s a place for you in this journey. Get all the details and festival updates on our official page: 👉 linked in bio 🎥By @shela_yogi 📸By @shangaphotos #BahariYetuFestival #LamuMarineConservationTrust #MarineConservation #OceanLiteracy #EastAfricanOceanExplorers

Planting the Future: Partnership, Action, and Impact! 🌳 It was a day well spent joining forces with the dedicated Tafakari Youth Group in Kipungani for a mangrove planting session! 💚 In partnership with @lamcot_lamu , we work closely with local Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to support diverse, sustainable projects that benefit both people and nature. Our support fuels critical community initiatives, including: 🌱 Mangrove Planting 🍯 Beekeeping 🦀 Mariculture ♻️ Waste Management We are also thrilled to announce a new initiative coming soon: where you will be able to offset your travel to Lamu directly by supporting our mangrove planting efforts. Watch this space! #MangrovePlanting #TravelOffset #SustainableLivelihoods #LamuMarineConservationTrust #EastAfricanOceanExplorers

🗣️ The Sea Has Spoken: Indigenous Wisdom Meets the Climate Crisis 🌊 The 2025 Bahari Yetu Festival brought together veteran Lamu fisherfolk for a panel discussion, and we’ve captured all the eye-opening insights in our latest blog post! Moderated poetically by our Fisheries Coordinator, Mohamed Yusuf, the discussion dove deep into the challenges of climate change and population growth threatening their ancient way of life. This blog is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of culture, conservation, and climate adaptation. 🔗 Tap the link in our bio to read the full blog: /post/lamu-s-fisherfolk-speak-merging-ancient-wisdom-with-modern-science-for-a-secure-future 📸 By @shangaphotos & @evekimmy #BahariYetuFestival #LamuFisherfolk #IndigenousKnowledge #ClimateChangeAdaptation #MarineConservation #BlueEconomy #Fisheries #TraditionalMethods #Lamu #EastAfricanOceanExplorers #LaMCoT #LamuMarineConservationTrust #wearemakingwaves

It's easy to point the finger at the individual mangrove🌳 logger. They are the visible actor with the saw🪓 and the sight of a falling tree is shocking. However, as Onesmus puts it, the reality of mangrove destruction is far more complex. The loggers are often the most economically vulnerable link in a long, destructive chain—a small fish in a very big, muddy pond. The real damage is driven by the entire value chain: 🌳 The Demand: Who is buying the wood? We must look at the market that fuels this demand—whether it's for construction🪵 timber, firewood, or charcoal in distant towns. No demand, no logging. 🌳 The Gatekeepers: We need accountability from policy makers and enforcement agencies. When corruption🤑 is rife or licenses are granted unsustainably, the destruction becomes "legalized" and widespread. 🌳 The Profiteers: The largest profits are made by the middlemen and business owners who finance the logging and control the distribution, not the person swinging the axe. Mangroves are critical blue carbon ecosystems, storing up to 4x more carbon per unit area than inland terrestrial forests. They protect our coasts🌊 by acting as a natural sea wall, reducing the impact of storm surges and rising sea levels. They are the nurseries for 80% of global fish catches, supporting local food security and livelihoods. We must shift our focus from prosecuting the poor logger to dismantling the systems that incentivize destruction. 📣 Join the Conservation Movement! Conservation is not just about planting trees; it’s about demanding sustainable policies⚖️ and questioning the source of the products we buy. Support organizations that promote alternative, sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities. Let's protect the entire forest, not just punish the individuals. 💚 #MangroveConservation #BlueCarbon #SystemChange #BeyondTheLogger #CoastalProtection #ClimateAction #SustainablePolicy #Lamu #LamuMarineConservationTrust #LaMCoT #OceanPatrol #SustainableFisheries #KinyikaEcosystem

💙 Ocean Keepers and Art Lovers! 🖼️ At Bahari Yetu Festival the heart of the Recycled Art Competition wasn't just the incredible art - it was the Lamu community itself! The competition, held under the theme, "Hifadhi Bahari, Hifadhi Maisha" (Protect Our Ocean, Protect Lives), created a special moment of connection💑 at the Shella Welfare Bazaar. The community, many of whom rely directly on the ocean for their livelihoods, had the vital role of casting their votes for the winning pieces!🎖️It was truly fun and interesting to see their thoughtful engagement with the students' 3D artwork. These young artists used 70% locally available recycled material to express their ideas on a healthy and unhealthy ocean, the impact we have on marine life, and how we can protect marine 🪼 ecosystems. Seeing the pride on the faces of the voters and the students was the best prize of all! We also had kids painting🎨 by numbers, creating a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy art and the ocean during the festival. Let's continue this conversation about protecting the Bahari Yetu (Our Ocean)! Read more about the day on our latest blog linked in bio.👆 📸 By @shangaphotos #LamuCommunity #BahariYetuFestival #RecycledArt #CommunityEngagement #ProtectOurOcean #Lamu #EastAfricanOceanExplorers #LaMCoT #LamuMarineConservationTrust #wearemakingwaves

Turning the tide on conservation at the Bahari Yetu Festival Games! 🏖️♻️ Witness the magic of our first-ever @unoceandecade activity at our 4th festival. After the talented @kidscreatekenya drummers led our procession to the beach, we saw young minds strengthening their bond with the ocean in the most imaginative ways: ⛵ Recycled Creations: Kids used discarded materials to craft amazing model dhows and cars, turning waste into wonders for a fun race! 🐠 Sand Sculptures: Future marine biologists sparked their curiosity by sculpting beautiful ocean animals in the sand. 🏊 Ocean Challenge: Brave young participants tested their skills and love for the sea in an exciting swimming competition! A huge congratulations to our winners! The sand sculpture artists took home beautiful coloring books from @elkebertolli Bahari Yetu Coloring Books, whilst model dhow creators earned an unforgettable sailing trip with @tusitiri_dhow We are so grateful to everyone who helped make this day possible. Collaboratively, let's protect Bahari Yetu (Our Ocean)! 🙏 🎥by @shela_yogi #BahariYetuFestival #OceanDecade #KidsForOcean #MarineConservation #TusitiriDhows #RecycleAndCreate #BeachGames #CitizenScience #OceanAction #OceanForLife #EastAfricanOceanExplorers #LaMCoT #LamuMarineConservationTrust #wearemakingwaves

We were absolutely blown away by the creativity🎨 and commitment to ocean conservation at the Bahari Yetu Festival🌊 Recycled Art Competition! Students from 12 schools across Lamu brought the theme 'Protect Our Ocean, Protect Lives' to life using 70% locally available recycled materials! The challenge was to create and paint 3D art and bring it to the festival - and they crushed it! Huge congratulations to our winners: 🥇 1st Place: Siyu Primary School! They will be going on a trip to @natural.lamu when schools reopen! 🥈 2nd Place: Afrikable School! They walked away with fantastic sketching pads and crayons! 🥉 3rd Place: Ama Primary School! They won a set of paint and brushes to keep the creativity flowing! Thank you to every school that participated and showed us their incredible vision for a healthy ocean! Let's keep working together to protect our marine life 🐬. #BahariYetuFestival #RecycledArt #OceanConservation #Lamu #HifadhiBahari #ProtectOurOcean #ProtectLives #EnvironmentalArt #UpcycledArt #EnvironmentalEducation #TuskTrust #EastAfricanOceanExplorers #LaMCoT #LamuMarineConservationTrust #wearemakingwaves

🎨 Creativity Meets Conservation at Bahari Yetu! We had the Recycled Art Competition which challenged our School Environmental Kindness Clubs to create 3D art visualizing and describing the critical impact humans have on marine life and explore ways to protect marine ecosystems. The festival grounds were a hub of learning and inspiration: 📸 We showcased stunning conservation photography by the talented @jahawibertolli @af_mombasa @iicnairobi 🔢 Kids had a blast at the engaging Paint-by-Numbers stall. 🤝 Sustainability-oriented organizations and groups provided educational displays at their stalls. @davisandshirtliff @bahari.water @theflipflopi ✨Our stall, where attendees could pick up great merchandise and support our work! It truly was a day to see what conservation means to adults and kids alike, with everyone sharing their passion and vision for our ocean! #RecycledArtCompetition #BahariYetuFestival #HifadhiBahariHifadhiMaisha #ProtectOurOcean #KidsArt #ConservationArt #RecycledCreations #EnvironmentalEducation #EastAfricanOceanExplorers #LaMCoT #LamuMarineConservationTrust #wearemakingwaves

🥳 A Day of Culture, Conservation, and Community at Bahari Yetu Festival🌊 What an incredibly entertaining and meaningful day celebrating Lamu's coastal culture and the Ocean Decade! @unoceandecade The Bahari Yetu Festival was truly a vibrant mix of fun, interaction, and learning for all ages. From the soul-stirring rhythms of the Msondo dance, celebrating Lamu's rich heritage, to powerful performances🎭 that passed on vital ocean conservation key messages through creative role plays and Taarab - every moment was impactful. We loved seeing the talent shows, which beautifully tied fun with citizen science! It was a day dedicated to ocean-themed fun and securing a better future for our ocean. 💙 Get the full scoop on this incredible day and relive the magic in our latest blog post - find the link right in our bio! ✨ 🎥 By @shela_yogi #CoastalCulture #OceanDecadeActivity #Msondo #BahariYetuFestival #OceanDecade #CommunityLed #CitizenScience #OceanAction #OceanForLife #EastAfricanOceanExplorers #LaMCoT #LamuMarineConservationTrust #wearemakingwaves

Impact means honoring generational knowledge and making research accessible. 🤝 As our Director @elkebertolli reminds us, we believe the most impactful science isn't just done about a community, but with it. The Bahari Yetu Festival beautifully showcased how rich indigenous and citizen science is, emphasizing the need to meet the Lamu community right where they are. Through the festival, engaging 🎬films, school environmental clubs, and the timeless art🎭 of storytelling, we make sure scientific information gets passed on and preserved. What tools do you use to communicate science to communities? #BahariYetuFestival #ScienceCommunication #CitizenScience #IndigenousKnowledge #Lamu #KenyaCoast #Storytelling #oceandecade #OceanConservation #OceanAction #OceanForLife #EastAfricanOceanExplorers #LaMCoT #LamuMarineConservationTrust #wearemakingwaves

Back on and under the waves!

Bahari Yetu Festival: We Came. We Played. We Laughed🤣 & Learnt🎉 From competitive beach games to the inspiring voices on the fisherfolk panel, and epic laughs during the community game of charades, talent shows, and role plays - our first @unoceandecade endorsed activity was an absolute wave of good times! We're still buzzing from the energy! 🥳 Cheers to everyone who made this activity a HUGE success! We couldn't have done it without you. 🙏💙 Get ready to relive the magic! Our official blog and videos are on the way! 🎥✍️ 📸 Photography by @shangaphotos #BahariYetuFestival #OceanDecade #CommunityLed #CitizenScience #GoodVibesOnly #OceanAction #OceanForLife #EastAfricanOceanExplorers #LaMCoT #LamuMarineConservationTrust #wearemakingwaves