Marine Month: Southern Cross Gin salutes the ocean

The Southern Cross Gin dream started with a big love for the ocean, and a little boy that sailed across the seas with his father pointing out the Southern Cross. At the southernmost tip of Africa, where two beautiful oceans meet at L’Agulhas and an undeniable love for our oceans exists, Southern Cross Gin was born. It should be no surprise then that the ocean lies really close to our heart.

In the light of national Marine Month, we’d like to share not only the Southern Cross Gin story, but also our commitment to protecting our natural marine resources. Marine Month creates awareness of the benefits that our oceans bring to the nation and is celebrated every October. It’s not just about the oceans, but also about the marine environment, and the rest of the fresh water system that we depend on. 

To ensure the future health of our marine ecosystems, the maintenance of Marine Protected Systems, or MPAs are vital. These are areas on the coastline that are protected by law, prohibits consumption with designated boundaries and makes sure that vulnerable or threatened species are protected.

Two very important ingredients in Southern Cross Gin include water from the Atlantic and Indian oceans, which conveniently meet at L’Agulhas, where our gin originates from. This makes it even more important for us to help maintain and protect our oceans, and to encourage others to do the same. Here are five things you might not know about the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and L’Agulhas:

• The Cape Agulhas Lighthouse was the third lighthouse to be built in South Africa, and is the second-oldest one still operating after Green Point.
• The Atlantic Ocean covers roughly 20% of the earth’s surface.
• The waters of the Indian Ocean provide the largest breeding grounds for the humpback whale.
• The range of the lantern in the Cape Agulhas lighthouse is 30 nautical miles (56km).
• The name "Agulhas" is Portuguese for "needles", and was given to the cape because the compass-needle was seen to point due north.

Keep in mind that many species, as well as local entrepreneurs and brands such as Southern Cross Gin, are dependant on the ocean’s resources, making the sustainability of our ocean crucial for everyone. Please help us look after our oceans and let us know which initiatives you’re aware of that can help with that.