Prince William is spending his final day in South Africa by the sea.
And he had a special guest along for part of the morning — model and TV presenter Heidi Klum, who he invited so she could learn more about sustainable fishing.
Actor Billy Porter and model Winnie Harlow also joined William at the event in Kalk Bay Harbor, where the group spent some time talking about the 4th annual Earthshot Prize Awards held on Wednesday, Nov. 6. while having a traditional South African barbecue, known as a “braii.”
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William arrived at Kalk Bay by lifeboat, after he’d earlier visited lifesavers from the National Sea Rescue Institute.
He was welcomed to the quayside by an excited local crowd and went on an unplanned walkabout, smiling and chatting with a couple of hundred locals who crammed around the fishermen’s stalls.
One, Kate Wardle, 47, handed him some special gifts. “I bought some beaded key rings from the local lady selling them here. They had W and C on and three others for the kids,” she tells PEOPLE. “I said ‘Here they are if you would like to take them.”
“He said thanks. And ‘never go home empty handed!’ ”
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She adds, “He was so natural and relaxed and down-to-earth. I appreciate him coming here as he must be so exhausted after this week. To have him visit us in Kalk Bay. It means a lot to us here.”
Standing nearby was Chene Bobha, 21, who told PEOPLE that William was “such a sweetheart.”
“I wished Kate well and he thanked me and said ‘That’s very kind,’ ” she added.
Another young man was keen to press as much royal flesh as possible. “I’ve shaken your hand before,” William laughed. “I never forget a face.”
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William was in Kalk Bay Harbour to highlight the contributions of Abalobi, which works with small fishing communities to record their catch data and ensure a fair and improved livelihood from sustainable fishing.
The organization was an Earthshot Prize finalist in 2023 and aims to protect small-scale fishing communities and nurture their ocean stewardship, while also keeping their customers appraised with information about the origins and sources of their seafood.
On Thursday, William and the rest of the group were told about sustainable fishing methods and shown the technology used to log and track catches. They then took part in a traditional fish braai with members of the local community working in and around the harbor, including Kobus Van Der Merwe, a local chef and supporter of Abalobi.
Klum, 51, told PEOPLE at the Earthshot Prize ceremony on Nov. 6, that when she was devlvng “deeper” into William’s environmental project “I learned so many new things. Who knew there was sustainable fishing?”
“I’m so honored to go with him to this place to learn about sustainable fishing. I knew our waters are overfished and they’re polluted and all of these horrible things. But I didn’t know about sustainable fishing. I love that I get to learn more things and hopefully be better in the future.“Also I love doing my part. We should all do our part.”
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William had started the day at Simon’s Town Harbour to meet with the National Seas Rescue Institute (NSRI) and hear about the lifesaving work carried out by volunteers to save lives on South African waters. It is the only non-profit organization focused exclusively on safeguarding lives and livelihoods in South African waters through education, prevention and rescue operations.
It came a day after his fourth Earthshot Prize ceremony in the city.
For host TV presenter Nomzamo Mbatha it has been a memorable week. “He is awesome,” she told PEOPLE of the prince. “This week has been so inspiring. It really touched us when we had our youth program. It really touched His Royal Highness. To be able to see over 100 young people from around the world — I’m talking South East Asia, Africa, Europe — to be together in the room.”
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“These are young global climate leaders, who want to be able to support through mentorship and workshops. But also how best we can be able to support them with the tools they need to scale up and, who knows, one day they might be finalists.”
This is the fourth time for Earthshot. “The reason why we are able to keep it fresh is traveling the different continents. Where to next, right? I’m not going to tell you it – though I think we all know!”
