Q and A with author Serai Dowling
Muizenberg resident Serai Dowling has just released her book A Guide to Tidal Pools of the Western Cape. She tells us a bit about herself and why she wrote the book:
Tell us a little more about yourself? Who are you? What do you do? Where do you live? And if you’re comfortable telling us, how old are you?
My name is Serai Dowling. I’m 44 years old, and I live in a beach cottage in Muizenberg Village with my husband, children and dog.
I work from home and spend a great deal of time tending my Cape coastal garden, swimming in the ocean and walking the Kalk Bay mountains.
I love reading, exploring, dreaming and making things happen.
I work as an advisor, researcher and consultant, at the intersection of business development and scaling proven foundational literacy and numeracy initiatives through government partnerships with the support of agencies like the World Bank, in Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Is there a story about how this book came together or how you got the idea for the book?
My husband pushed me to tackle the project intentionally, and it took me two years of research and photographing to complete the manuscript. It was with his support that I was able to complete the project.
I’ve spent a great deal of time exploring the tidal pools of the Western Cape. I researched the history of each pool and because I’m naturally curious and have worked in adolescent mental health prevention/promotion programming, I observed the extent to which tidal pools and blue spaces as a whole have a positive physiological impact on the people who frequent them. I wanted to share what I was learning in a way that was easily accessible and not stuffy and academic. I chose to write a guidebook as a way to introduce people to the pools, and thereby the benefits of these spaces to our fractured societies.
In the book, I explore the history of the pools, from their colonial past through Apartheid, to what they are today. I invite adventurers to conserve and protect the pools and the creatures within them. I hope that the book is received as the gift it was intended to be.
Does the book cover all the tidal pools in the Western Cape? If not, is there a reason why it covers some and not others?
No, the book doesn’t cover all the pools of the Western Cape. I chose to focus on those that are within a two-hour drive from Cape Town, including Hermanus and Gansbaai pools. The second edition will include all the pools of the Western Cape. I also left out a few of the pools closest to Cape Town, choosing to focus on those that I find to be the most beautiful.
How long did it take to put this book together?
Two years, from inception to completion. I started it more intentionally in November 2021.
Of the places in the book, do you have a favourite?
I love Miller’s Point tidal pool because it feels like an adventure to get there – the slide is fun, and you can enjoy rich marine life and just bob about or engage in a lengthier training swim. The views across the bay are spectacular!
How did the photographer get the beautiful aerial photographs?
Jay Caboz is a talented local photographer who used a drone to get the aerial shots.
What is the biggest takeaway you would like people to get from this book?
These marine havens are a sanctuary for humans and marine life alike. We should preserve, love and care for these spaces so that we can enjoy them unspoiled.
Do you have any other books in the pipeline?
Yes, I’m working on a book on the best wild swimming spots of the Western Cape, as well as a more reflective book on recovery in a Cape garden which touches on my work as an urban beekeeper.
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