Marine Tales Storytelling Evening
Marine Tales: An Evening of Ocean Stories
Join us for an enchanting evening where science meets storytelling, and the mysteries of the sea come alive through the voices of marine experts, explorers, and ocean lovers.
Date: Sunday, 23rd November
Time: 5pm – 8pm
Includes: Dinner & drinks | R450pp
Location: Cape Point Mountain Getaway, Simon's Town
What to Expect
* Captivating talks and true tales from marine biologists, divers, and conservationists.
* Stories that reveal the beauty, danger, and interconnectedness of ocean life.
* A shared dinner, inspired by the sea, with locally sourced and sustainable ingredients.
* A community gathering celebrating curiosity and the power of storytelling.
Meet the Storytellers
Lynton Francois Burger has had a lifelong love affair with the sea. As a marine biologist, master diver and award-winning underwater photographer, Lynton writes about a world he knows intimately. He served as an advisor to ocean-impact ventures in several countries, including the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. Lynton is an inducted member of the Ocean Artists Society and a fellow of the International League of Conservation Writers. 
Lynton shares, "It took turning fifty and going through a full-blown midlife crisis to finally give myself permission to write the story I had carried with me for twenty-five years. My novel SHE DOWN THERE was published in 2020 by Penguin Random House. The story draws on my deep love of the underwater world, my time with marine biologists in various parts of the world and my fascination with sea mythology (SHE DOWN THERE is the other name for Sedna - Ruler of the Sea Creatures, an important North American First Nations origin myth). My second book SEARCHING FOR SIRITI - a 112-page collection of poems, short prose and duo-tone underwater images was published independently in October 2024. I’m currently working on my second novel entitled SWIM ME A RED THREAD."
John McCarthy is a former professional lifeguard and surfer, an open water swimmer, freediver, yogi, entrepreneur, environmental activist and a qualified Social Anthropologist (UCT, 1992).
Publisher of theBOMBsurf magazine, instigator of theGREENERsurfer, and the architect behind the Swim Free Confidence Underwater course, he is also the founder of OCEAN CHILD, an eco-adventure company.
He is the subject of an award-winning film ‘Sea Change’ and the author of two books, ‘The Sexy Ugly Beautifuls’ 2018, and ‘Swimming Easter Island’ 2019. He was the principal photographer, producer and director of ‘Born From The Sea’ 2024. His first photographic exhibition can be found on instagram @alchemocean, a word dreamed up to describe the emotional alchemy achieved while submerging oneself in the ocean. His second exhibition entitled ‘Learning to Fly and Breathe Underwater’ is scheduled for release December 2025.
When not surfing at his beloved home break of Greenpoint in KZN, John makes more environmentally responsible surfboards, guides surfing, yoga, freediving and open water swimming wilderness adventures in the Transkei, Sodwana and Mozambique. His is a life lived with the sea at its very heart.
Kirshia Govender is a marine biologist, ocean literacy advocate, and dynamic educator, dedicated to conservation and capacity building in the blue economy. As Programme Manager at the International Ocean Institute – Southern Africa (IOI-SA), she empowers early-career professionals with essential knowledge in ocean governance, shaping the next generation of leaders.
Beyond her work at IOI-SA, she is the founder of Aonyx Marine Experiences, a Cape Town-based marine ecotourism company that connects people to the ocean through immersive, science-driven tours of kelp forests and rocky shores. With her passion for education and conservation, Kirshia will share her personal story of inspiring moments.
