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 […]
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 […]
Our first research blog for 2017!!! The ORCA Foundation team has hit the ground running this year, busy both outdoors and in! Despite the volunteer program being closed for a number of weeks, ORCA staff maintained the elasmobranch egg case project. Surveys were continued, and egg cases were collected. Now with the volunteer program back […]
Blacktail – abundant, ubiquitous, and hermaphroditic! Anglers and visitors to the underwater world in our beautiful Plettenberg Bay may be familiar with a fish called blacktail Diplodus capensis, though perhaps the name dassie or Cape white seabream is more familiar. This is an oval-shaped fish which is primarily silver in colour with a black patch […]
Not one, but three, abalone species in Plettenberg Bay! If someone mentions abalone, it brings to mind one specific marine gastropod mollusk (sea snail) species Haliotis midae, also known as perlemoen. In fact, in Plettenberg Bay, there are 3 abalone species living in intertidal and subtidal waters. The most well-known abalone species is perlemoen, while […]
Come June, eyes are kept peeled for that elusive blow as boat trips start taking a turn off the point and further to sea searching, and hoping, for the first sighting of a Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae. Humpback Whales are large animals, measuring 13-14 m in length and weighing 30-40 tonnes. They have a big […]
My experience with ORCA Foundation. Amy joined our program in May and sent us a lovely testimony: “I came to ORCA with both a fear and fascination with the ocean. I wanted to learn more. Within my 4 weeks at ORCA I learned and experienced so much. I saw my first great white shark within my first […]
There are roughly 100 shark species in southern Africa, and while most of them are very rarely seen and are harmless, Great White Sharks Carcharodon carcharias are of the more infamous of these species particularly due to its perceived aggressive nature. This shark species is one you will recognize on sight. It has a blue-grey […]
Although we are always sad to say farewell to our wonderful volunteers – we do encourage them to share with us their experiences and feelings about the programme. We think it is important to share those feelings with you so when you are deciding whether to become an ORCA Volunteer or not you can browse […]
BLACK MARLIN A few weeks ago a Black Marlin Istiompax indica washed up on Central Beach in Plettenberg Bay measuring 3.8 m. Unfortunately, I was not in town to see it but I was inspired to do some research into the species. Black Marlins are found in tropical and subtropical Indian and Pacific Ocean, preferring […]
