A trip to uShaka Sea World when she 9-years-old sparked a passion for the ocean and inspired Rebecca Reddy to become a marine biologist. Currently volunteering at Ushaka Sea World’s curatorial department, Rebecca describes being selected to take part in the 2017 Ocean Stewards expedition as a dream come true.
“Going out to sea with no land in sight, experiencing the open ocean in all its power and glory for the first time, is going to be amazing,” says Rebecca.
Rebecca grew up in Phoenix, North of Durban, not far from Umhlanga Beach. After matriculating at Stanmore Secondary School she enrolled for a degree in marine biology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Westville campus. Currently completing her 3rd year, Rebecca hopes the expedition will give her confidence, knowledge and the skills necessary to become a professional marine scientist.
She also looks forward to making life-long friends. Rebecca has a sporty edge – athletics being her specialty – and says she can be very competitive.
The self-dubbed “bubbly and friendly critter”, says she is also “a die-hard animal lover with the exception of lizards”.
“If I were a marine creature I would be a sponge. I absorb so much information it makes me feel like one,” says Rebecca.
This snapshot profile of Rebecca Reddy was compiled by Roving Reporters apprentice Ocean Watch reporter, Zamo Phungula. Roving Reporters Ocean Watch training programme is supported by the Human Elephant Foundation and The Blue Fund – a joint initiative of Grindrod Bank and Wildlands.
