Travel with purpose: every stay gives something back

What iOcean Trust does

Founded in September 2023, iOcean Trust takes young people from Mossel Bay's communities - many of whom have grown up beside the sea without ever swimming in it - on a journey from learning to leadership. Its three programmes are:

• iConnect - reconnecting young people with nature through the ocean: swimming, water safety, paddling, sailing and marine education.
• iLead - the leadership phase, where participants run their own community and conservation projects.
• Work Readiness - mentorship, storytelling and real-world project work to prepare young people for careers in tourism, marine science and conservation.

Recent work includes NSRI WaterWise water-safety sessions in local schools, a free youth leadership course with Mossel Bay Municipality, marine-awareness days on Santos Beach, and mentoring newly qualified marine guides and sailing instructors.

How your stay helps

A portion of every night booked at Villa Palmera goes to the trust. It is built into the rate, not added to it. Stay a weekend and you have helped pay for a child's first swimming lesson; stay a week and you have contributed to a young person's marine guide training. We publish the trust's reports so you can see where it goes.

Do more, if you want to

• Join a beach clean-up or a WaterWise session during your stay
• Log the wildlife you see with the iNaturalist app - the trust uses the data
• Book your marine activities through operators who partner with the trust
• Make a direct donation, or sponsor a programme

Andrea will tell you what is happening while you are here. Visit ioceantrust.org for reports and the podcast.