We went tag and release fishing yesterday and I caught my first fish ever! It was a Garrick that was about 32cm long. We tagged it as part of ORCA’s work with Oceanographic Research Institutes continued research on these interesting looking species.

RESEARCH & MONITORING Bumper breeding season for Robberg seals? Between January-March volunteers assisted biologists with six boat-based counts of Cape fur seals that haul out on Robberg Peninsula. Apart from routine counts of adult seals, which have levelled off since 2012 despite seasonal fluctuations in their numbers, our biologists were surprised by the large increase […] Continue Reading...
Education- Siyakula Pre-School Education Once a week, volunteers visit young children at the local crèche to give a lesson on basic English words based on the theme of the week. All teaching is done in English (translated by the teachers into their mother tongue of isiXhosa) so that kids can learn a second language. It […] Continue Reading...
Conservation- Beach Clean-Ups We regularly hike along Plettenberg Bay’s beaches to remove marine debris. Unfortunately we live in a world where people still expose of their rubbish from vessels, in rivers or on beaches. This often causes deadly entanglement in marine animals. Tiny plastic particles (micro-plastics) are also known to end up in the ocean […] Continue Reading...
RESEARCH Overview The ORCA Foundation offers a unique learning experience for volunteers who are passionate about the marine environment. It will allow you to make valuable contributions to increased knowledge, awareness and conservation efforts while supporting applied marine research. As part of our comprehensive volunteer programme, you will regularly receive the opportunity to assist our […] Continue Reading...
The origins of marine mammals Although all marine mammals evolved from land mammals, it may surprise some that each group of marine mammals has its own unique ancestry. There are three groups of marine mammals: the cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), the pinnipeds (fur seals, sea lions, walruses and seals) and the sirenians (dugongs and […] Continue Reading...
We went tag and release fishing yesterday and I caught my first fish ever! It was a Garrick that was about 32cm long. We tagged it as part of ORCA’s work with Oceanographic Research Institutes continued research on these interesting looking species.
The coral reef are under a lot of stress, they have been having problems with temperature changes, but now the biggest problem is ocean acidification. This means that the carbon dioxide that we release in to the atmosphere is going in to the ocean and decreasing the pH in the water. This affects all animals […]
Fishing is a popular recreational sport in Plettenberg Bay, with a local angling club, fishing charters, recreational fisherman, and a dense influx of holiday makers who practice fishing as a hobby. Due to our dwindling supply of ocean resources, certain fish are listed with regards to their stock size as green (best choice), orange (caution), […]