Humpback dolphins: South Africa’s most endangered dolphin

1 Humpback dolphin final 1

Humpback dolphins: South Africa’s most endangered dolphin. Although shy and somewhat elusive, the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) is commonly sighted in Plettenberg Bay’s nearshore waters. These dolphins can often be seen swimming along the Keurbooms and Robberg beaches, alone or in small groups of between 2 and 15 individuals. Humpback dolphins can be […]

71 sardine run banner 768x282

Greatest shoal on Earth The sardine run is a natural phenomenon deeply ingrained in the South African cultural heritage, and while it is well known to many of the general public, it is still poorly understood from an ecological perspective. The sardine run is defined as the annual north-eastward migration of a small and variable […]

Edible, exploited, endemic alikreukel

70 alikreukel banner

Edible, exploited, endemic alikreukel The South African marine resources have been exploited for subsistence purposes for thousands of years, but recently with rapid population growth, and a high concentration of people moving into coastal areas, the exploitation has intensified. Many subsistence fisheries are focused on intertidal and estuarine invertebrates, with the alikreukel Turbo sarmaticus being […]

White Steenbras

73 white steenbras banner 768x282

White steenbras The white steenbras Lithognathus lithognathus is a slow-growing, long-lived, late maturing, and estuarine-dependent species endemic to South Africa. White steenbras is an important recreational and subsistence shore and estuarine fishery species, particularly in the southern and south-eastern coastal regions of South Africa. They can attain 25-30 years of age, and grow over 130cm […]

Endangered Species Day

72 endangered species banner 768x282

Endangered Species Day International Endangered Species Day is celebrated every third Friday in May, and this year it fell on 19th May. Endangered Species Day is a chance for us to recognize and appreciate the conservation efforts being put in by a number of organisations, men, and women around the world working to protect our […]

May research blog!

13.1 Puffadder shyshark egg case partially covered by sand

May research blog: The elasmobranch egg case project continues to progress smoothly. Despite having dropped our surveys to only once a month, we still haven’t been able to totally process through our backlog, though we are steadily moving through it. There will be a big celebration once we have conquered the mountain of egg cases! […]

Robberg – a window to the past

67 robberg 960x353

Robberg – a window to the past Southern Africa contains a wealth of archaeological sites, ranging from some of the earliest evidence of human origins to more recent occupation; thousands of sites that record the way of life and history of humans for nearly 2 million years. South Africa has a long history of coastal […]

Twists and turns of the swift tern

68 swift tern banner 960x353

Twists and turns of the swift tern Terns are beautiful, elegant seabirds, closely related to the gulls, skimmers, and skuas. Here in Plettenberg Bay we are fortunate to be able to see a few different species, but by far the most common is the coastal and pelagic swift tern Thalasseus bergii.Swift terns, or greater crested […]

Rainforests of the Ocean

69 coral reef 960x353

Rainforests of the ocean Coral reefs are estimated to cover only 0.1-0.5% of the ocean floor, yet coral reefs are among the most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth. Almost one third of all marine fish are found on coral reefs, and approximately 10% of fish consumed by humans are caught on coral reefs, […]