THE Scottish Seabird Centre is hosting a national Marine Fest to celebrate World Ocean Day.
The award-winning marine conservation and education charity will host the five-day festival honouring our oceans, which is now in its third year.
From June 8 to 13, visitors of all ages can take part in a variety of events to celebrate Scotland’s marine wildlife and habitats.
Among the all-day activities are a sustainable seafood supper, a paella evening with a DJ, a guided snorkelling adventure, art workshops, puppet shows, live science sessions, wildlife talks and tips for wild swimming.
Alongside the full programme, it was announced that TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff will be appearing.
As a wildlife expert and diver, she will give a speech to share her experiences with nature at the festival launch, which will take place on June 8 – World Ocean Day.
Krestovnikoff said: “I’m delighted to be heading to the beautiful coastal town of North Berwick on World Ocean Day to talk about the importance of our seas and the incredible wildlife and habitats they support.
“Marine Fest is a great chance to consider our seas, why we love them and what we can do to protect and care for them.
“I’ll be sharing some of my first-hand experiences as someone who loves diving and I’m looking forward to hearing views and thoughts from the audience.”
Joining Krestovnikoff at the festival will be wild swimming writers Vicky Allan and Anna Deacon, World Ocean Day youth ambassador Caitlin Turner and chef Grant Reekie.
Susan Davies, chief executive of the Scottish Seabird Centre, said: “We are delighted to be able to turn the spotlight on Scotland’s seas through our Marine Fest programme.
“The programme is linked to the UN’s World Ocean Day which was established to draw attention to the global challenges our marine environment and seabirds face.
“Through our Marine Fest we will illustrate a myriad of national and local benefits that come from having healthy seas.”
“Whilst the festival allows us to celebrate Scotland’s incredible marine wildlife and habitats, it’s also an opportunity to have fun with family and friends while learning something new about Scotland’s seabirds and marine wildlife.
“We hope everyone will be inspired to think about the ethical choices they can make and to commit to doing something positive for nature.”
The festival will focus on honouring and educating visitors about Scottish ocean wildlife preservation, alongside fun activities.
With recent reports of whales in the area, one of the programme highlights is the “Drawing at the Sea” workshop.
The event will take participants to a classroom session to simulate a whale-watching trip and explore the challenges of drawing wildlife through practical exercises.
The festival will also host a dog-friendly beach clean on June 10. The centre will provide a cleaning kit with gloves, alcohol hand gel, bin bags and pickers.
All events must be pre-booked online and are already available on Eventbrite, with free and paid opportunities starting from £5.
