Nicknamed Bruce after well-known Bafana Bafana soccer player Bruce Ramogida of the early 90’s, Mawethu Phalamahashe (32) traded his job at a construction site for the open seas a mere three months ago. Bruce and Khwezi were school friends in Umtata and after working in the construction business for a while, Bruce joined the Slashfin crew in August this year. After some initial bouts of seasickness, he quickly grew sea legs and mastered the art of preparing the chum.

“I love every aspect of my job at sea – especially being in close contact with the marine animals! We learn new things about the sharks every day – I never knew they were such extraordinary creatures. The construction business is very uncertain and seasonal – here I know I have a full-time job and I can’t wait to get to sea in the mornings.”

This father of two young children is eager to learn from his expert fellow crew members and to climb the ladder to also become a qualified marine tour guide. Meanwhile, Bruce is living up to his legendary nickname as a star-player for the local Zama Zama soccer team.