- 'Meeting seals so closely is a true metaphysical experience,' says Bożena, a tourist from Gdańsk, who visited the seal sanctuary of the Marine Station in Hel UG. The Summer with the Seal event, organised by ACK Alternator UG, was attended by many tourists, but also Hel residents.
The summer offer of ACK Alternator was well received. The events turned out to be a nice alternative to sunbathing. Many people took part in workshops, meetings and attractions prepared for The Summer with the Seal on July 6.
The weather in Hel was hot, the sky cloudless and the beaches full. However, many people, especially families with children, participated in the prepared workshops, meetings with book authors and a field game.
As the organisers from ACK emphasise, they did not expect such great interest. You could count on tourists, but the inhabitants of Hel with their children also participated in the field game and in visiting the deck of the UG research vessel r/v Oceanograf, which on that day had specially docked at the quay in Hel's fishing port. As the crew who showed the groups around the ship emphasised, there was a full house for all the boarding hours. They eagerly looked into the bridge, engine room and mess, listening to the capabilities of the ship and the research carried out on it.
As usual, the Marine Station of the University of Gdansk could not complain about a lack of visitors. Especially during seal feeding hours, which are crowded with tourists. This place always attracts visitors to the peninsula. The exhibitions and seal performance demonstrations with commentary by keepers are a summer school of Baltic education for both adults and the youngest visitors.
The proven formula will be used by the organisers to organise further meetings in Hel, emphasising the presence of the University of Gdańsk and the educational and popularising potential of the scientists also during the summer holidays.
The organisers of the event were: the University of Gdańsk, the Academic Cultural Centre UG 'Alternator', the prof. Krzysztof Skóra Marine Station IO UG, the Foundation for the Development of the University of Gdańsk, the University of Gdańsk Publishing House, the Centre for East Asian Studies UG, the UG Students' Parliament, the Centre for Student and Doctoral Activities UG, the Centre for Communication and Promotion UG, and the Town Hall of Hel as a partner.
Media patrons: University Gazette, UG Academic Community magazine, Radio MORS.
