27 March 2010

Africa Calling

Several times during the course of my wanderings in Oulu I saw beautiful posters of dolphins. They said Villi Meri…couldn’t figure out if it was one of those aquariums like Deep Sea World in Edinburgh or was it a movie.

Google and Google translator to the rescue – Villi Meri means Wild Ocean. It was a film being screened at Tietomaa Science Center in Oulu, with special screenings in English on request! Tag line for the movie – Africa meets the Sea.

Africa...has been on my wish list for as long as I can remember. Even as a young girl in school I remember seeing photographs of my cousins who had visited Mombasa in East Africa, and thinking …gosh I do so want to be there too!!!!

The centre boasts of a magnificent super screen theatre. Believe you me, it not one of those kahli peeli boasts. The screen was super-duper.

The movie overall was a documentary to raise awareness of the effects of pirate fishing and global warming on the marine life. It lays stress on the fact that only 1/100th part of a percent of the seas is protected and the need for marine reserves.

But it was based around a place called the Wild Coast on the coast of South Africa, where shoals of sardines head towards the coast in June/July every year. They are followed by all kinds of predators – various species of Dolphins, Sharks, Whales, Seals and Gannets.

The Gannets can plunge midflight to depths as deep as 10 mts to catch the fish!

This phenomenon is referred to as ‘The Sardine Run’ and it seems that people can catch sardines with bare hands at that time of the year as the swirling shoals are gigantic in size and very close to the surface and coast – the shoals can be upto 7 km long! More than fish, these shoals look like an oil spill in the sea.

The photography and the effects were brilliant. In the opening scene I felt as if I was sitting in a helicopter and approaching the coast!!!!

In between they also covered the local people and African music…the drum beats are something that make you just want to dance!!!

A place I love and a good screening make for some wistful thoughts. I just wanted to catch the next flight to South Africa after seeing that movie.

And then last week someone sends me pictures from an African Safari….too much of a coincidence. I just have to plan East and South Africa this year!!!

10 comments:

Asha said...

Wow, that's so fascinating. Have been reading all your posts with interest, and I don't miss any because of Google Reader :)

All the best for the Africa trip!
Asha

Manpreet said...

Hope you can join too!!!

Venkat H said...

The effect of a well directed movie in a big screen is really awesome. I saw a movie in St Louis about Clarke and Lewis discovering the west coast. It was so good that you wud have wanted to do the same trip in the US.

Venkat H said...

Btw...is there another seat in the Africa trip?

Manpreet said...

@venkat...sure

Unknown said...

Lovely inspirational post, thank you.

I hope you don't mind, but I've posted it to our site at www.wildcoast.co.za and added in pics and links to the movie.

Raffi said...

Why only East and South? North and West are in next year wish list?

Manpreet said...

hey raffi...i'm planning to tag u along...so decide if u want to north and west too!!!

Manpreet said...

@wild coast...glad u liked my post. And thanks for putting it up on ur website...its my 1st actual publication....yippppeeeee

Raffi said...

Ok, will do some analysis whether to cover North and West :)