Prince William spends his last day in South Africa by the sea.

And he had a special guest for part of the morning: model and television presenter. Heidi Klumwhom 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 time talking about the 4th Annual Earthshot Prize which was held on Wednesday, November 6, during a traditional South African barbecue, known as “braii”.

William arrived at Kalk Bay by lifeboat, after visiting rescuers from the National Sea Rescue Institute.

He was greeted on the quayside by an enthusiastic local crowd and indulged in an unplanned stroll, smiling and chatting with a few hundred locals milling around the fishermen’s stalls.

One of them, Kate Wardle, 47, presented him with special gifts. “I bought some beaded keychains from the local lady who sold them here. They had W and C and three more for the kids,” she tells PEOPLE. “I said, ‘Here they are if you’d like to take them.’

“He said thank you. And “never go home empty-handed!” » »

She adds: “He was so natural, relaxed and down to earth. I appreciate him coming here because he must be so exhausted after this week. For him to visit us in Kalk Bay. It means a lot to us here.

Standing nearby was Chene Bobha, 21, who told PEOPLE that William was “so adorable.”

“I wished Kate good luck and he thanked me and said, ‘That’s very nice,'” she added.

Another young man was keen to squeeze out as much royal flesh as possible. “I already shook your hand,” William laughed. “I never forget a face.”

William was in Kalk Bay Harbor to highlight the contributions of Abalobi, who works with small fishing communities to record their catch data and ensure equitable and improved livelihoods through sustainable fishing.

The organization was a finalist for the Earthshot Prize in 2023 and aims to protect small-scale fishing communities and foster their ocean stewardship, while educating their customers about the origins and sources of their seafood.

On Thursday, William and the rest of the group were briefed on sustainable fishing methods and demonstrated the technology used to record and track catches. They then participated in a traditional fish braai with members of the local community working in and around the harbour, including Kobus Van Der Merwe, a local chef and Abalobi supporter.

Klum, 51, told PEOPLE at the Earthshot Prize ceremony on November 6, that when she delved “deeper” into William’s environmental project, “I learned so many new things. Who knew sustainable fishing existed?

“I am very honored to accompany him to this place to learn more about sustainable fishing. I knew our waters were overexploited, polluted and all these horrible things. But I didn’t know about sustainable fishing. I love being able to learn more things and hopefully be better in the future. “I also like to do my part. We should all do our part.

William had started the day at Simon’s Town harbor to meet the National Seas Rescue Institute (NSRI) and hear about the rescue work carried out by volunteers to save lives in South African waters. It is the only non-profit organization focused exclusively on saving lives and livelihoods in South African waters through education, prevention and rescue operations.

This happened a day after his fourth Earthshot Prize ceremony in the city.

For TV presenter Nomzamo Mbatha, it was a week to remember. “He’s great,” she told PEOPLE of the prince. “This week has been so inspiring. It really hit home when we had our youth program. This really touched His Royal Highness. Being able to see over 100 young people from all over the world – I’m talking about Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe – coming together in the room. »

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“These are young global climate leaders, who want to be able to support them through mentorships and workshops. But also how can we best support them with the tools they need to grow and, who knows, one day they might be finalists. .”

This is the fourth time for Earthshot. “The reason we are able to keep it cool is because we travel across different continents. What’s next, right? I’m not going to tell you – although I think we all know!