A beautiful mural on the wall of the public bathrooms on Strand’s main beach has been painted in honour and memory of Freddy the Seal, a much-loved visitor on Strand Beach who tragically died in October from stress caused by the interference of humans.
Shortly after the incident (“Seal succumbs to stress”, 25 October 2023) there was a public outpouring of emotions and renewed commitments to raise awareness within the community on caring for seals and the other marine wildlife.
“Dozens of people reached out to us a desire to do something in Freddy’s memory,” said Lisa Starr, founder of Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement, which is at the forefront of conservation efforts affecting seals, “not just as a tribute but also as a means of educating the public. We didn’t want his death to be in vain.”
Together with members of Strand Seal Watchers Mickey Pretorius, Natasha Latsky and artist Elsie Jooste, they decided the most “cost-effective” and practical solution would be the painting of a mural in Freddy’s honour, which would also display awareness messages and text advising beach goers to be environmentally conscious.
The public bathrooms, which were due for a repaint anyway, was the chosen spot, and Starr consulted with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department to obtain all approvals necessary before embarking on the task at hand.
Following generous donations from the City of Cape Town and local businesses Mega Paints & Hardware and Anton van den Eijkel Painters & Renovators, the project commenced in December and took two days to complete.
The main artist was Elsie Jooste, who had spent many days watching Freddy lay basking in the sun and moving around Strand Beach. The wall of the public bathrooms near the Strand Surf Lifesaving Club became her canvas.
Artists Francoise Joubert and Stasa Hlava also assisted with conservation messages painted on the mural, and Starr added that a small and intimate unveiling took place around 19 December and since then Freddy’s mural has garnered reactions, stirred emotions and most importantly continues to advise the community on safe encounters with seals.
“So many people have reacted and it’s a testament to how many people knew Freddy and bonded with him in some way or the other.
“The public love the mural as we all fondly miss him. But the result is that now loads of eyes are watching the beach and watching for seals and there are many residents who are becoming more aware of the environment and have initiated self-litter clean-ups. I encourage people to take walk on the beach, come take a photo of the mural and help spread the awareness on this no-dog part of the beach and towards the Marine Protected Area (MPA).”
