South African Shark Conservancy

2011-03-08T14:26:00.000+02:00

I came to the South African Shark Conservancy having little idea what I was getting myself into. I knew obviously it would involve sharks, some research, and some outreach but that is pretty small part of what I actually did. First week I was here, we headed to the Breede River to catch some Bull sharks. After days on the boat trying to track previously tagged sharks and waking up at 5am trying to catch fish, (I caught 3 fish by the way), we came up with no bull shark. And though it was very frustrating, no one could do anything about it, which to me is the beauty of science especially when working with wild animals. They don’t necessarily do what we want them to do. On the river, I met many very interesting people, all asking me about America, what I thought about South Africa and then giving me places I should go when I’m here. Once and awhile someone would sing me California Girls by the Beach Boys.

Heading back to Hermanus, I was finally able to settle into a routine and actually unpack my suitcase. Heading to the office everyday, I saw the intensive planning and work that went into working in a non-profit. We basically hit the ground running, where I worked on the research for a WWF contract about sustainable fishing. posters for the education room, aquarium layout plans, ideas for the Shark Camp, catching sharks for the tanks, cleaning tanks, research for the new Walker Bay Coffee book and many other things. Lets just say I was a Jack-of-all-trades this month.

After five weeks working with the South African Shark Conservancy, my internship has come to an end. Not that I want it to end, I can truly say that this trip has taught me so much about working with a non profit organization that is affiliated with marine science, and the research that tags along with it. When I came here I had no direct idea about what I wanted to do with my future, only a couple random thoughts. Now, coming out of the program, I can say that I would like to go into some sort of Biological Conservation path. I don’t know if that means non-profit work, conservation or research, but now at I can see some sort of clearing in this crazy world.

I want to give a big THANK YOU to Tamzyn and Meag. They were always there making sure I was comfortable, and having fun. They taught me so much about science in both research and non profit. This trip/program would truly be nothing without them.

2011-02-04T13:00:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone, I'm Maxime,

I hold a masters degree in aquatic resources of the University of Montpellier 2 in France. I heard about the SASC by Katie Gledhill who diffused, by “coral-list”, opportunities of internships in shark conservancy. I have already had the chance to give a hand occasionally to a PhD student who works on black-tip sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) and lemon sharks (Negaprion acutidens) in French Polynesia during I was working on another project to finalize my master degree.

And I loved that, so when I saw that I could learn more about shark research, participate in tracking and tagging Zambezi sharks (Carcharhinus leucas), try to know more about those fantastic animals, talk about them to children, all that things with the aim of protect them more efficiently, I applied!!! And thanks to Meaghen and Tamzyn, they accepted, and now I’m here for three months.

2011-02-04T12:53:00.000+02:00

Hello, my name is Lindy McMorran and I am the newest intern working at SASC. I hail from Los Angeles, California, United States and graduated from the University of Oregon (U.S.) in June 2010 with Batchelor of Science in Marine Biology. As a student, I took classes in Invertebrate Zoology, Marine Birds and Mammals, Estuary Biology, Animal Behavior, Oceanography, Invertebrate Embryology, and Environmental Issues, so a very wide range of classes for such a huge field. In school, I worked at a plethora of different jobs ranging from being a camp counselor to a lab technician in a Neurobiology lab. I currently have a seasonal job working on Catalina Island, a small island off the coast of California, where I am an outdoor education instructor for CELP (Catalina Environmental Leadership Program).

Due to my 3-month break off work, I decided to apply for an internship in another country, obviously in the marine science field. I knew I wanted to go to somewhere I had never been, and I had a couple ideas of what organisms I wanted to work with. I have always thought that sharks were beautiful animals, and knew a lot about the affect humans are currently having on the shark population, leading some sharks to extinction. With this in mind, I literally googled “internship, South Africa, sharks,” and SASC ‘s website popped up. I instantly fell in love with this group and everything they represented. I applied on a whim, crossing my fingers that I would get a chance of a lifetime.

Now after a 24 hour flight, and a couple of hours drive, here I am currently sitting looking over the Breede River in gorgeous Witsand, South Africa, helping with research that is currently being done on bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) that are known to swim up the river from the open ocean. Watch this space for more information about the outcomes of the trip, it’s pretty awesome!

SASC Schedule of Events Calendar for 2011

2011-01-21T10:06:00.002+02:00

Below is a detailed calendar of events occurring 2011 with SASC. Please contact SASC if you would like more information.

March 22^nd: World Water Day: Salty Water Science at SASC

Celebrating World Water Day with fun activities and experiments illustrating the properties of the water found in our world’s oceans.

April 4^th-5^th: Shark Camp 1 (6- 10 yrs)

08h30-13h00

Two half days of fun/educational activities educating the students about our friend the shark and the food web with fun outdoor games, exploring and art projects.

April 6^th: Shark Camp 2 (11-13 yrs)

08h30-15h00

A new camp developed specifically for tweens to learn more about sharks and the ocean around us.

April 7^th-8^th: Marine Biology Camp (14-17yrs)

08h30-16h00

The high school camp is more in depth teaching about sharks and their physiology, ecological role, behavior and their conservation. The program includes a field trip and group experiments.

May 18^th: Celebrate Marine Biodiversity at SASC (For International day of Biodiversity 22/5)

Biodiversity is a huge part of the marine ecosystem. Come learn more about it with the SASC team.

June 8^th: SASC World Oceans Day Parade

(Theme to be confirmed)

11h00 at Swallow Park

July 4^th-5^th: Shark Camp 1 (6- 10 yrs)

08h30-13h00

Two half days of fun/educational activities educating the students about our friend the shark and the food web with fun outdoor games, exploring and art projects.

July 6^th: Shark Camp 2 (11-13 yrs)

08h30-15h00

A new camp developed specifically for tweens to learn more about sharks and the ocean around us.

July 7^th- 8^th: Marine Biology Camp (14-17yrs)

08h30-16h00

The high school camp is more in depth teaching about sharks and their physiology, ecological role, behavior and their conservation. The program includes a field trip and group experiments.

July 18^th: World Marine Day

International Whale Shark Day Art Competition opens.

Contact SASC for details

August 30^th: International Whale Shark day

Whale Shark art Competition closes

Sept 17^th: International Costal Clean-up week: Coastal and Underwater Cleanup at SASC

A fun day to clean up our beautiful coastline

Sept 23^rd?: Whale Festival Events at SASC

Schedule to come when Whale Festival dates are confirmed

Oct 14^th: Sustainable Seafood Cook-Off at SASC

Local Business and Community members are welcome to come and create their best SASSI (Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative) Green listed dishes. The community will vote on the food and winners will win exciting prizes. Benefits go to SASC.

Oct 15^th: SASC Fin Run

5km Costumed fundraiser, all benefits go to SASC

Dec 12^th -13^th: Shark Camp 1 (6- 10 yrs)

08h30-13h00

Two half days of fun/educational activities educating the students about our friend the shark and the food web with fun outdoor games, exploring and art projects.

Dec 14^th: Shark Camp 2 (11-13 yrs)

08h30-15h00

A new camp developed specifically for tweens to learn more about sharks and the ocean around us.

Dec 19^th-20^th: Marine Biology Camp (14- 17 yrs)

08h30-16h00

The high school camp is more in depth teaching about sharks and their physiology, ecological role, behavior and their conservation. The program includes a field trip and group experiments.

SASC/SOSSC public statement on Bronzie Festival

2010-12-07T16:23:00.000+02:00

The Two Oceans Angling Club (TOAC) will be hosting its first annual Bronzie Festival on December 11th. TOAC invited SASC and the Save Our Seas Shark Centre (SOSSC) to participate in this festival, which marks the first time many of us local scientists, conservationists, public volunteers and anglers will apply a co-management approach to recreational fisheries in the False Bay area.

In light of concerns expressed by several members of the public SASC and SOSSC deemed it necessary to issue a public statement on our participation in this angling competition.

Please read the statement below if you would like further information in this regard. Comments and queries are welcome, so feel free to contact us.

Statement from the South African Shark Conservancy (SASC) and the Save Our Seas Shark Centre (SOSSC) regarding participation in the first annual Two Oceans Angling Club Bronze Whaler Festival, to be held on December 11^th, 2010

Issued on December 7, 2010

SASC and SOSSC were invited to participate in a bronze whaler shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus) angling competition by the Two Oceans Angling Club (TOAC) – organisers of the event – on Saturday, December 11, 2010. The purpose of participating in said event is threefold:

1) to collect biological, genetic and population dynamics data on bronze whaler sharks to inform species-specific conservation and management measures in South Africa and internationally;

2) to engage in a public forum with recreational shark anglers and promote cooperation and collaboration between primary resource users and the research and conservation communities;

3) to monitor shark angling ethics (e.g., handling, fishing methods) to better inform primary resource users and the scientific community at large on best-industry practices to mitigate and eliminate harmful (or perceived harmful) angling practices.

SASC and SOSSC recognise the growing value of collaborating with resource users to promote the sustainable co-management of fisheries as tabled in the United Nations Food and Agriculture Association Technical Guidelines on the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) (FAO Technical Guidelines 2003) and South Africa’s Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA 1998).

The FAO Technical Guidelines on the ecosystem approach to fisheries (FAO 2003) define the EAF as follows: An ecosystem approach to fisheries strives to balance diverse societal objectives, by taking into account the knowledge and uncertainties about biotic, abiotic and human components of ecosystems and their interactions and applying an integrated approach to fisheries within ecologically meaningful boundaries.

However, SASC and SOSSC recognise that many elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) are inherently susceptible to overexploitation, which includes potential mortalities resulting from recreational angling activities. Although post-capture mortality rates of elasmobranchs have not been quantified in South Africa, it is likely that improper treatment and handling of animals result in unnecessary mortalities and undue harm – causing long-term suffering and potentially death - to captured sharks.

It is a guiding principle of both organisations to promote the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources, but both organisations are in agreement that unsustainable and unethical fishing practices cannot be condoned if viable alternatives exist.

In light of the aforementioned, SASC and SOSSC publicly state that, if any perceived deliberate unethical and unsustainable fishing practices are witnessed as being employed by participants during the Bronzie Festival, we will be hesitant to contribute to, or take part in, future events of this nature. This includes support by way of use of organisational logos, scientific services and/or promotion of the annual event as a conservation-conscious undertaking.

SASC Interns go on an adventure

2010-10-21T13:10:00.000+02:00

Late September: Cage-diving Interns!

Thanks to Marine Dynamics in Gansbaai (http://www.sharkwatchsa.com/index.php),

SASC’s first-ever interns Nic and I, and visiting scientist Kat, were able to go cage-diving with great white sharks on Tuesday 21^st September. Although Kat and I had both cage-dived with white sharks before, it was still sure to be amazing, and for first-timer Nic, mind-boggingly so!

Meag dropped us off just before 8am for our yummy breakfast spread provided for all cage-diving customers by the company, including hash browns. Nic and I studiously cleaned our cameras, lenses and underwater housings with dust blowers and microfibre pens, filled up on coffee and tea, then headed upstairs for the intro briefing by Marine Dynamics intern Zach. Life-jackets on - we headed excitedly onto the boat and enjoyed the gorgeous views on the top deck heading out. A mere (what felt like) 20 minutes we were already at a good site for the day and the cage was dropped down, and the chumming began with fish oil and fish heads, the air and sea heavy with anticipation...

And then there they were! Or at least there one 3.5 metre great white shark was, to start with, approaching the boat, bait-line and coming back round repeatedly for more investigations of the source of the tasty smells in the water... The first group geared up in very new (or extremely well-maintained) and stylish wetsuits, booties and hoods, pulled on masks diligently washed and cleaned by the Marine Dynamics interns and volunteers, and given a 4-6 kg weight belt to minimise buoyancy in the water, and climbed down into the cage for the show!

We were determined to go in the same group together, so we took our last pre-cage photos from top-deck, geared up quickly and awaited our turn. It seems the wait allowed the shark to warm up a bit and get a bit more inquisitive, and then another, and another one again, joined the first one, and finally it was our turn to jump in! The staff up top keeping watch and throwing the bait line shout, “Down, down, down! Divers, the shark, down left, down left!”...

And so we draw our breaths quickly, and jump ourselves down below water-level, hooking our toes under the provided bar near the bottom of the cage, as instructed, and grabbing the lower hand bar inside the cage, away from potential sharky teeth... And see one the world’s most amazing creatures enter our view outside the lower left corner of the cage where I am, and then swim past the front of our cages and our stunned eyes, and head for the fish on the end of the bait line, never catching it before it gets pulled up out of the water.

It’s hard to describe the surreal experience of watching an apex predator less than a metre away from us ‘hunt’ for food... And the stunningly beautiful eyes of the great white as they watch you, watching them. I have cage-dived a few times now but each time is no less beautiful or surreal than the last. Especially knowing that these special creatures are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List (http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/3855/0), and the increasing threats they are under from commercial long-lining as by-catch, the mostly illegal shark-finning industry, and many other factors, not the least global warming impacts on the ocean’s environment. And imagine the disastrous trophic effects that the removal of species at the top of the food chain would have on the ocean’s ecosystem!

We stayed in for at least 20 minutes, though it felt like much longer in the 16 degree water, but never tired of the sharks making passes in front of our cage over and over again. On the way back we were lucky to witness two beautiful southern right whales playing and rolling repeatedly in front of our boat, and then watch the hundreds of seals chilling and playing on smelly Seal Island. Life’s pretty good! And if I’m not mistaken by Nic and Kat’s repeated squeals of happiness going into and coming out of the cage, the other girls agree too!

It’s important to note the unfounded fear of many people of these beautiful creatures, perhaps partly perpetrated by fictional media like the Jaws films, and maybe again by the upcoming Halle Berry film Dark Tide. Save Our Seas produced an interesting article on why white sharks have every bitten people, and explains the extremely rare times this has ever occurred in history, they were investigative, mostly non-fatal, nibbles to determine that humans, in fact, are not their food of choice at all, in terms of calories, fat content, etc (http://saveourseas.com/articles/why_do_white_sharks_bite_people). And with less than 60 attacks of any species of sharks on people each year, with only a handful being fatal, it seems pretty obvious that jumping into a car and getting on the road is a much more dangerous place to be than around white sharks! But perhaps I’m preaching to the converted here...

There are sometimes suggestions by the public that cage-diving might encourage numbers of white shark attacks around the Western Cape, and condition the creatures to see the cage-diving boats as a regular food source, but as the bait-lines are pulled out before the shark has a chance to eat it (except for a tiny amount of times when the staff member is not quite quick enough), and there is no real scientific evidence to support the theories. Obviously research continues to be conducted to find out more of this great fish’s habits and lifestyle, but the public awareness on shark biology and conservation that cage-diving operators provide through this tourism instrument aids the creatures’ protection by showing the average person that the creature is indeed graceful, beautiful, and not aggressive towards humans. And by protecting the apex predators in our oceans we are helping ensure a healthy marine ecosystem and food web, which helps maintain an overall earth ecosystem and food web, which we are very much a part of, so is good for us in the end!

But back to the blog; white shark cage-diving is an amazing experience I’d encourage anyone to have, especially those who car for our earth and its environment. More often than not you will end up a shark lover if you weren’t to begin with... and that’s the coolest club to be in ;)

Many thanks again to Marine Dynamics for fantastic life experience, and keep your eyes peeled for a post on our first ever White Shark Training Program where we at SASC conducted shark biology and conservation modules with staff from various operators in the white shark cage-diving industry, with much positive feedback from our participants!

Cheers,

Christine W. Chan

SASC Intern

2010-10-14T11:59:00.000+02:00

Melinda McLeod: I am a graduate student of the University of Johannesburg (UJ), where I received my Bachelors in Zoology and Human Physiology. I am currently involved in the educating of the first year nursing students at UJ in Human Physiology for the second consecutive year. I have always had Sharks as my passion and find it a great blessing and privilege to be able to work so closely with them as well as such a world-class scientific team. My goal is to be able to work intensely on researching the Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharius) in and around South African waters. I am specifically interested in the Genetics and life history of these magnificent animals. I am excited about my internship with SASC as it forms a great platform for the conservation and research of Elasmobranches in the Cape area. I hope I can become a positive contribution to the Conservancy.

M. McLeod

SASC's First Interns

2010-10-13T09:50:00.000+02:00

A new era for SASC... Interns!

Woah, Meag and the team weren’t lying when they said it would be a busy couple months! Now that things have finally settled down, for now, we’re endeavouring to tell you all about all the amazing events and activities we have been up to.

SASC’s inaugural interns, Nic (marine biology student from Southamption, UK) and I (environmental scientist from Sydney, Australia) arrived on 1^st September with varying levels of drama; contracting a bad bug on the plane and ending up so ill as to need wheelchair transportation on arrival (Nic), and huge flight delays and missed connections from Mozambique during the food riot violence (me).

We soon got to know our way around this awesome office, with its demersal shark tanks and intertidal organisms touch tank in the Shark Lab, pretty marine education centre with Shark Camp painted walls and posters (like “I Love sharks Becose: They are speshel”), loads of shark and marine biology reference books, and the list goes on! On Nic’s third, but my second, day at work (I missed one due to my own bug!) we were already dissecting white-spotted smoothhound sharks for Nic’s honours thesis studying their stomach contents! What else? draining and cleaning the algae out of the tanks; measuring, tagging and releasing our resident sharks, then ‘chumming’ with squid/pilchards to hand-catch more, this list goes on J

And bugs aside, I can’t really complain about coming from a southern Mozambique manta ray conservation internship with humpback whales breaching in front of our dive boat every day, to a Western Cape shark conservation internship with Southern Right Whales breaching out the front of our office window every day! I could go on but there are many events to cover so I’ll leave you with some photos of our first days at SASC, and SASC’S first few days having interns J Next entry, cage-diving interns!

Cheers,

Christine

Just another day at the SASC office

2010-08-25T12:06:00.000+02:00

It's a beautiful day in Hermanus today - the sun is shining, no wind to speak of and the local marine life is putting on a show. Just moments ago a pod of 200 common dolphins swam by our office, only 10 metres from us! Following in their wake were two Bryde's whales, chasing the fish being herded by the dolphins. And surrounding all of this were at least five different southern right whales - the most common winter residents of Walker Bay, who come to our shores every year to calve and feed.

Just another fantastic day at work!

A busy few months ahead for the SASC Team

2010-08-04T12:22:00.000+02:00

September and October are shaping up to be a busy time at SASC with many exciting events and outreach projects planned. From a local underwater cleanup as part of International Coastal Cleanup Week to our Marine Biology and Shark Camps for local teens and kids, there is an event or activity for every age and interest level!

We hope we see you on one (or ALL!!) of these dates listed below!

August 25th (19h00 @ the Whale House, Hermanus): Screening of Animal Planet's River Monsters adventure documentary on SASCs Breede River Zambezi shark project.

September 13-18: International Coastal Cleanup Week... Join SASC for our underwater cleanup in Walker Bay on September 18th. Meet us at the SASC centre at 11h00 to be part of the fun.

September 15th (19h00 @ the Whale House, Hermanus): Talk on the effects of marine pollution as part of International Coastal Cleanup Week.

September 24-28: Whale Festival... Join us for daily dissections of sharks and daily feedings of the sharks housed in our centre. You can also witness interesting and exciting shark behavioural experiments currently underway.

September 27-29: Marine Biology Camp for Teens aged 14-18 (book now to reserve your spot!)

September 30 - October 1: Shark Camp for Kids aged 6-13 (book now to reserve your spot!).

October 1-4: Join us at the Hermanus Ecofair (Fernkloof Nature Reserve) to see our display on human/shark interactions.

We invite all of you to participate in any way you can. Contact us on info@sharkconservancy.org if you would like more info on any upcoming events.

Cheers,
the SASC Team

SASC is pleased to welcome our colleague, Katie Gledhill, aboard!

2010-07-22T11:35:00.000+02:00

The SASC team met up with Katie for the first time in June for our World Oceans Day events. On her way home to Australia to pursue her PhD degree, Kat decided to spend a few months with us in Hermanus. We extend a warm welcome to her & can't wait for our shark friends to meet her. Kat ha s an impressive CV with loads of experience working on shark projects aroung the World. Her fascinating Bio can be read below:

Growing up in Australia, a huge part of life has been spent by the ocean. Since I can remember, my favourite activities involved going to the beach, swimming, snorkeling, diving, investigating rockpools and marveling at the natural beauty and creatures of the sea. I remember clearly one of my first shark encounters was while fishing with a friend. A small Port Jackson shark was fouled hooked on a friends fishing line. Holding the animal to dehook the shark to return to its home, I was fascinated by the beauty and sheer strength of the animal and since that moment my passion for sharks began. I decided to focus this adoration into doing something positive for the oceans and its inhabitants. I graduated from University Technology Sydney with a BSC in Environmental Biology with a major in Marine and Coastal Ecosystems. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I completed an Honour thesis on the demography and behaviour of Abudefduf species, a small tropical damelfish, in the Sydney region. I have been a committee member and councilor on various non-profit and government organisations, including the Australian Marine Science Association Council, Christine Baltzer Parks Foundation and Sydney Water Customer Committee. I was heavily involved in the consultation process and outreach effort to conserve the critically endangered Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharius taurus) on the East Coast of Australia and the creation of Marine Protected Areas to protect critical habitats of the species, as well as the successful ‘Save Ningaloo Reef’ campaign for several years to protect the area from overdevelopment and conserve the area for whale shark and tiger shark populations.

From then I travelled to various locations around the world assisting with marine research and conservation efforts. After working on a research project on marine turtles and coral reef fishes in the Yuctan Peninsula in Mexico and diving with sharks in Belise and Honduras, I pursued my dream of conducting scientific research with sharks with Dr. Samuel Gruber at the world renowned Bimini Biological Field Station. I assisted in numerous research projects and was ultimately given the position of Station Manager for almost four years. Here I was given the opportunity to be involved in the research of several elasmobranch species including lemons, tigers, bulls, blacktip, sharpnose, nurse, carribean reef sharks and the critically endangered smalltooth sawfish in Bimini. Additionally, I have worked on projects with lemon sharks and bull sharks off the coast of Jupiter, Florida for three seasons; Marquesas Keys, Florida; Tiger Beach, Bahamas and a short longline survey with Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina and spent some time in the genetics lab at Stoneybrook University working with Dr. Demian Chapman on a genetics project on Blacktip sharks (C.limbatus) in Bimini, Bahamas.

I travelled to Southern Africa a few months ago to get a feel for the elasmobranch research and conservation efforts are being conducted in the region. I also got to live out a lifelong dream of mine to swim with Great Whites and Whale Sharks in South Africa and Mozambique! I assisted the South African Shark Conservancy (SASC) with an inspiring Oceans Day event in which hundreds of local school children and members of the community attended, pledging to conserve the oceans. I was then given the opportunity to assist SASC with a bull shark (Zambezi shark) tagging and tracking research trip to the beautiful Breede River, where the world’s largest bull shark was caught by SASC in 2009. During these experiences, I was inspired by Meag and SASCs conservation and outreach efforts. Now I am here to assist SASC with their outreach, research and conservation efforts. I am so excited to helping out here for the next few months!

Sharks have been around for approximately 400 million years and play such an important role in the ocean ecosystem. Little is known about the status and biology of many species and studies show that shark populations continue to become threatened in regions throughout the world. It is our duty to contribute to the understanding and conservation of these special animals. There is so much work to be done and the more people we can inspire and educate, especially from a young age, to magnificence of these creatures and their importance in our oceans, the greater chance we have of conserving shark populations for generations to come.

Hundreds of Overstrand children attend World Oceans Day

2010-07-06T09:53:00.000+02:00

On June 8^th thousands of individuals around the world gathered in celebration of our Blue Planet. World Oceans Day – recognised internationally by the United Nations – provides an opportunity for coastal and inland communities to celebrate our personal connections to the sea, acknowledging the importance of the global oceans in our daily lives irrespective of our distance from the closest coastal shoreline.

The South African Shark Conservancy (SASC) and the Overstrand Conservation Foundation (OCF) celebrated World Oceans Day in style, bringing together community members from Betty’s Bay to Kleinbaai. To commemorate this year’s theme, “Oceans of Life – pick your favourite, protect your favourite”, 200 children from Overstrand schools paraded through town dressed as their favourite sea creature, chanting “Go with the motion, save our oceans!” from Swallow Park along Marine Drive to the Whale House at the Old Harbour Museum. Given the blustery Cape winter’s day, such a turnout of young Ocean Warriors no doubt illustrated just how passionate the youth of the Overstrand are about Walker Bay and the surrounding beautiful blue ocean – a sure sign that us adults, the current custodians of our seas, must continue to act to ensure the preservation of our wild spaces for the coming generations.

Following this incredible display of support for our seas, Overstrand youth and concerned community members gathered at the Whale House to partake in a community pledge led by Mayor Beyleveldt and his wife, Marianne. Mr. Beyleveldt gave an impassioned speech to the World Oceans Day participants, encouraging everyone in the Overstrand to act on both an individual and societal level to conserve species and spaces through tangible action. As a people greatly influenced by the oceans – whether through the provision of employment or through the intrinsic ecstasy felt when witnessing a Southern right whale breach – it is undeniably fantastic that our Municipality wholeheartedly supports conservation and sustainability in our marine realm. The pledge, a book of over 100 children’s handprints, including that of our Mayor, can be viewed at the SASC facility in the Old Harbour.

A life-size whale shark – the largest fish found in the sea and currently listed as an internationally endangered species – will be permanently displayed at the SASC facility, serving as a constant reminder of the fragility of our global oceans, and the importance of each and every sea creature in maintaining the integrity of ocean ecosystems.

The day’s exciting events were followed by lectures by renowned conservationist Mr. Monty Guest of Underwater Africa, and internationally celebrated Professor Charles Griffiths of the Southern African Census of Marine Life and the Marine Biology Research Institute at the University of Cape Town. Highlighting the beauty and diversity of our seas while addressing the very real issues facing our oceans today, both gentlemen succeeded in inspiring all attendees to action.

The many generous donations given to us for World Oceans Day made our events such a success, and SASC and the OCF would like to extend a sincere thanks to the following: Greg Tutt, Mike Gray, HIK Abalone Farm, the Old Harbour Museum and its staff, Overberg Reinforcing, Sharklady Adventures, White Shark Ecoventures, Great White Shark Tours, Percy Tours, Gateway SuperSpar, White Shark Projects, and Lize van der Walt. A special thanks to the schools that went out of their way to make the day so special and to the Mayor, Hermanus Traffic Department and volunteers who made the day possible.

Mark June 8^th 2011 – World Oceans Day - in your calendar, for this annual event will no doubt continue to be an exciting and interesting celebration of our inherent link with one of the most important ecosystems on this, our Blue Planet.

World Oceans Day mascot - our 10m whale shark - is created!

2010-05-31T09:29:00.000+02:00

On Saturday, May 29th construction of our life-size whale shark began. Our creative team, Lize van der Walt, Greg Tutt, Enkosi were an immense help - drawing the outline, welding the components together and providing many hours of entertainment throughout the creation process.

The whale shark will be unveiled during our World Oceans Day events on June 8th, when marine litter, collected by the 250 children participating in the Oceans of Life parade, will be placed inside the shark to illustrate alternative uses for rubbish and it's effects on marine life.

An endangered species, this whale shark will serve as a constant reminder of the effects of human activities on our World's oceans and the actions we can take to mitigate these.

We're looking for a catchy name for the our mascot, so email us any suggestions you might have.

Looking forward to seeing you on June 8th!

The SASC team

2010-05-20T15:11:00.000+02:00

WORLD OCEANS DAY WISH LIST

SASC is celebrating World Oceans Day on June 8th 2010

We are planning to construct a life-size, 14 meter Whale Shark out of litter collected during our "Unity for Diversity Parade" on the day.
In order to construct our life-size Whale Shark, SASC is looking for the donations of the following materials.

Hardware:

7 x 2m squared hardboard
Weather proof paint - blue and white
Heavy-duty adhesive
Paint brushes
Clear varnish

Other:

Mineral water and/or soft drinks
A large blank page book for supporters to enter their pledges

Please remember that SASC is a non-profit organisation and therefore all donations are tax deductible.
Thank you for your support
Regards
The SASC Team

World Oceans Day: Unity for Ocean Diversity

2010-05-11T18:47:00.000+02:00

On Tuesday, June 8th 2010, the World will celebrate World Oceans Day. Originally proposed as a concept by Canada at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, World Oceans Day was officially declared by the UN in 1999 and is now celebrated annually across the globe. On the first World Oceans Day, the Secretary General of the UN declared:

The first observance of World Oceans Day allows us to highlight the many ways in which oceans contribute to society. It is also an opportunity to recognize the considerable challenges we face in maintaining their capacity to regulate the global climate, supply essential ecosystem services and provide sustainable livelihoods and safe recreation... Indeed, human activities are taking a terrible toll on the world’s oceans and seas. Vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as corals, and important fisheries are being damaged by over-exploitation, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, destructive fishing practices, invasive alien species and marine pollution, especially from land-based sources. Increased sea temperatures, sea-level rise and ocean acidification caused by climate change pose a further threat to marine life, coastal and island communities and national economies... The theme of World Oceans Day... emphasizes our individual and collective duty to protect the marine environment and carefully manage its resources. Safe, healthy and productive seas and oceans are integral to human well-being, economic security and sustainable development.

World Oceans Day gives us all the opportunity to celebrate and honour our Blue Planet. This year’s theme, Oceans of Life, celebrates the incredible diversity found from the shallows to the depths of these magnificent ecosystems.

To honour our Oceans on this day and highlight conservation issues, SASC proposes to join with our partners and friends here in Hermanus – uniting as one for the sake of diversity.

Some of the activities on the day will include:
1. A beach cleanup at Grotto Beach, where all participants dress in their best marine creature costume to illustrate the diversity of ocean life;

2. Unity for Ocean Diversity walk: with collected litter, costumed participants walk from Grotto to the Old Harbour and create a life-size litter collage of an endangered whale shark;

3. Prominent guest speakers will highlight conservation issues and actions;

4. Screening of ocean related films

5. A community-wide pledge to take action and conserve our oceans;

6. Best-dressed prizes, etc.

However, to undertake our Unity for Ocean Diversity project, we require significant assistance through the donation of funds, materials and prizes. Those who are interested in participating or assisting in any way will be recognised through various media, including the SASC website, local television and news.

All donations, however small or grand, are tax deductible – and don’t forget how great you will feel knowing you have contributed to ocean conservation!!

To get involved, contact Tamzyn (tamzyn@sharkconservancy.org) or Meag (meag@sharkconservancy.org) for more info.

The SASC Team

SASC Shark Camp begins

2010-03-18T10:55:00.000+02:00

Since its inception as a non-profit organisation, SASC has been dedicated to raising awareness about the exploitation of marine resources and sustainable utilisation through several core programmes and projects, including our education and outreach initiatives.

To further our mandate and meet the organisational goals, we are proud to present our new Shark Camp. Shark Camp is an educational initiative designed for youth of various ages, during which they will come face to face with the marine environment in an experiential manner.

Using all our resources and experience we hope to unveil some of the mysteries of the marine realm and give our youth the tools and knowledge required to make a difference to conservation.

Shark Camp will be running during the upcoming school holidays (March 30 - April 11). If your kids are interested in participating, please contact info@sharkconservancy.org for more information.

SASC receives grant from Save Our Seas Foundation

2010-03-18T10:44:00.000+02:00

After several months spent anxiously awaiting feedback from the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) grant committee, we were awarded last Friday when Rupert Ormond - chief scientist with the SOSF - sent us an email stating our Zambezi shark grant application was successful.

This marks an exciting development for SASC which has, until now, conducted our Breede River Zambi research on a shoe-string budget (to say the least!!). The grant will enable us to purchase much-needed equipment such as VR2s (underwater receivers for passive shark tracking), coded tags and our very own VR100 to actively track the tagged sharks.

We are so grateful to the SOSF for their grant, and we look forward the further development of our working relationship with them. We also look forward to spending as much time as possible on the river, getting to know the sharks a little bit better.

For information on the SOSF and the fantastic work they support, visit their website: http://www.saveourseas.com/

Foul weather plays havoc with expedition

2010-02-22T08:19:00.000+02:00

It's now day four of our National Geographic expedition to the Breede River, and here we sit bundled against the cold, blustery weather more reminiscent of the Cape winter than a mid-summer day. We are counting down the days until the end of our trip here... three more to go and still no sharks. But this is how field work plays out - we are completely dependent on Mother Nature and can't launch our boat in gale force winds, which the weather service tells us will continue for the next two days. This leaves us one day to capture and tag the Zambi we're looking for.

Attitudes are positive, however, and the fishing crew have moved upriver in the hopes of catching live bait from the side. Once we have some good fish and clear weather there will be an excellent chance of catching a Zambi - we just hope the weather service is correct in their predictions and that we will have at least one clear day to hit the water and fish hard.

In the meantime, the weather gives the scientific crew a good window to continue entering and analyzing our data from the last trip. Perhaps not as exciting as fishing, but definitely a crucial part of our study here.

If we are unable to fish for sharks in the coming days, Nat Geo hopes we can return in the near future to continue filming for their series.

We'll keep you updated...

Cheers,
the SASC crew

February Zambezi shark expedition with National Geographic

2010-02-10T11:13:00.000+02:00

On February 19th SASC will once again be returning to the Breede River to conduct further research into the population dynamics and behaviour of Zambezi sharks in this unique system.

This time around we will attempt to capture another shark and surgically implant an acoustic tag with a battery life of 5 years, which will enable us to follow the animal's movement in the river for a long-term period using an array of underwater receivers. If the shark departs the river and passes by Mossel Bay or any other estuary/coastal area where acoustic receivers are deployed, we will be able to track its movement using a unique code transmitted by the implanted acoustic tag.

It is hoped this will help us determine where the Breede River Zambezi sharks go in winter, and what other river systems they may frequent. Pending sufficient funding we hope to deploy several more of these tags in the coming months/years.

The upcoming expedition will be filmed by National Geographic & SASC is grateful to them for funding this leg of research.

Special thanks also go to Marc Rubelli and Faiz Khan (Rock Hustlers Fishing Tackle) for their support during the previous expedition, and continued support this time around.

Stywe lyne,
Meag

My experience catching & tracking Zambezi (bull) sharks in the Breede River, South Africa

2010-02-03T16:21:00.000+02:00

26th January 2010

I’m Robert, a second year MSc student in Zoology at the University of Cape Town, and a member of the 2010 Breede River Zambezi Expedition.

In the first week, we have managed to deal with a lack of fresh bait, high winds and rough water and have successfully tagged and tracked two large male Zambezi sharks. Two more were hooked, but managed to roll, break the line and escape. They will be the ones that got away but we are keen to catch a third shark this week as we still have a passive transmitter tag to deploy. We all agree that the Breede River system is extremely productive, and speculate that the system might even support around 20 sharks distributed throughout the reach of the river. A large number of top predators in a system is an indicator of good health and sustainable exploitation, and it seems that the Breede River is no exception!! However, careful management in the future will need to be implemented if we want this condition to continue.

The tags we have equipped the sharks with emit a supersonic pulse that is picked up by a hydrophone held underwater and a receiver unit. It can pick up the signal from approximately 500 meters away, depending on water conditions and is directional, so we know exactly where the shark is. In bad weather and rough water it is more difficult to discern a tag transmission from all the background noise in the water: waves crashing against rocks, waves breaking, even the sound of the current running against mud or seagrass!

Every 15 minutes we log a datapoint where the position of the shark we are following is and every half an hour we take a depth profile of salinity, water temperature, turbidity and conductivity. This will allow us to determine if the sharks prefer to use certain waters, or if they follow the current and salinity wedge upriver from the estuary. However, this will only become apparent when the data is spatially mapped. We measure these by using an YSI unit, which is an array of sensors held underwater. We raise it 1 meter per reading, so that we see the different measurements at different depths.

As of yet, we are not sure why the sharks are here. We can speculate though, and have come up with a few theories. Originally we thought that the sharks we coming here to pup. However, the sharks we have caught on this expedition have been huge males, making it unlikely that females come here to give birth. However, last years expedition tagged a large female, thought to be pregnant. We cannot say for sure if there are no females at all in the river. We still have to fish further upstream, where there is the possibility of small sharks, juveniles or (fingers crossed!!) neonates, which may be out of the predation zone of the larger adults. On the other hand, this is a very productive system, so the sharks might be using the system as a feeding ground on their way or before a migration to breeding grounds. Last night was the spring high tide, and this morning the tracking team found the sharks further up than their usual haunts. Either way, only further research will prove any theories we can put forward now.

Paul Van Nimwegen - SASC intern - speaks about his experience catching & tracking Zambezi sharks on the Breede River

2010-02-03T08:59:00.000+02:00

My name is Paul Van Nimwegen. I am a third year Fisheries Resource Management student at CPUT. I met Meaghen McCord from the South African Shark Conservancy (SASC) at a presentation on sharks (elasmobranchs), explaining the importance and vulnerability of these majestic creatures. SASC is a non-profit organisation, aimed at public education, research and promoting the sustainable use of sharks.

As a keen angler and biologist, I jumped at the opportunity to join the SASC research team on their January 2010 Zambezi shark expedition to the Breede River. I called Meag to find out more about the expedition & a week later I was standing on the banks of the Breede River.
Our first day was spent collecting prawns and catching grunter, which was used as live bait for catching the Zambi’s. I was slightly sceptical at first and wondered how long it would take to hook our first shark. Will 15 days be enough? Will we catch one?

Within two hours we had hooked up and 3.5 hours later, we landed a 2.9m male Zambezi. The shark was tagged, measured and biological samples were taken. Acoustic tags are used as this indicates their position and movements in the estuary. The tags also detect water temperature and depth at the sharks’ exact location. Two days later we landed another male Zambezi of 2.97m. This shark was also tagged and measured and relevant biological samples were taken.

Tracking of the sharks then commenced. The sharks are being tracked 12 hours per day, and information on location, temperature and depth is recorded. This can be tiresome and frustrating at time, but very rewarding nonetheless. We are hoping to capture one last shark before the end of the expedition, and deploy our third and final tag. Although we have managed to hook two other sharks in the last few weeks, we were unable to land them. The good news is there are at least a few other Zambezi’s in the system!

Yesterday (Monday, February 1st), we witnessed a Zambezi actually taking a large kob on the surface of the water near the Breede River Lodge. The kob was lacerated and bitten off towards the tail. The remaining carcass of the kob weighed 19kg and was therefore estimated to have a whole weight of 25kg! This was an amazing event to witness!

We have truly had the most amazing journey thus far, exceeding all of our expectations. Through our research here we hope to explain the occurrence of these sharks in this estuary and monitor their behaviour and movements over the long term.
As for the time being, it is important for us to protect these mighty creatures that call the Breede River home.
Stywe lyne, Paul

News from the Breede River: SASC interns report back

2010-02-02T16:30:00.000+02:00

Hi there, I am Tamzyn, a 3rd year Fisheries Resource Management student at The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

I first met Meag in 2009 when she came to CPUT to do a presentation on Elasmobranchs for our class. Meag’s presentation included Elasmobranchs’ biological and physical characteristics as well as the unsustainable exploitation sharks face due to South Africa’s fishing industries.
(FYI : South Africa has a dedicated Shark longline fishery as well as a bycatch allocation in the hake longline and trawl fishing sectors.)

Meag’s passion is obviously contagious, and what started out as mere curiosity on my part soon blossomed into an intense desire to learn as much as possible about these beautiful and hugely misunderstood animals, which form a vital part of the marine ecosystem.

Meag and I stayed in touch. I was over the moon when she invited me to spend my 3rd year internship and The South African Shark Conservancy (SASC) with her in Hermanus.

So....here I am!! Having the most amazing experience of my life – catching, tagging and releasing the “ferocious” Bull/Zambezi Shark Carcharhinus leucas in the Breede River Estuary in South Africa! Meag and another team of researchers were here in 2008 and were able to tag and track a 3.4m female which made newspaper headlines in January 2009.

We arrived at the Breede River in the Overberg region on Thursday the 21st of January 2010, and quickly settled into our accommodation in the Witsands area of the river.

It is quite a process to catch a shark. It starts at the bottom of the food chain, with the pumping of mud prawns to use as bait to catch fish (preferably Grunter - pomadasys commersonni) which is used as live bait to lure the shark onto the line. Circle hooks are used to ensure that the hooks can easily be removed with the least amount of damage inflicted on the animal.

It didn’t take long to hook the first shark, a 2.9 meter male.

From the first tracking expedition in 2009 and the catch of the large female (named Nyami-Nyami) it was hypothesised that the river was used as a nursery ground for the Zambezi. The capture of the large male has blown that theory out of the water! Male Zambezi sharks are thought to be territorial and it is assumed they will not tolerate smaller younger sharks in the area.

So now????

We measured his straight and curved length, precaudal and fork length as well as attaching a continuous acoustic tag which allows us to track him via a receiver called the VR100 and a directional hydrophone. A fin clip is taken for DNA comparison, any parasites that the animal may have are collected, and Oxytetracycline is injected into the shark in the hope of determining the age of the shark if he is ever recaptured. The ‘oxytet’ stains the animal’s cartilage which grows in a similar fashion to the rings of a tree trunk, and assists in determining the age of the shark.

We started tracking “Jeremy” the next day, and found him roughly in the same area we released him. That same day got a call informing us that the 2nd shark, also a male about the same size, had been hooked right in front of the Lodge near the mouth of the river. We decided to call him Pumpkin! The same procedures mentioned above were applied to “Pumpkin”.

Up until now, we have been tracking both sharks in three hour periods for each shark. From today both sharks will be tracked for 12 hours a day, unfortunately the lack of manpower has prevented us from tracking at night. While tracking, we record the shark’s location, depth and water temperature every 15 minutes. Every half hour we record the water pH, conductivity, NTU (nephelometric turbidity units), and dissolved oxygen from the river floor, every meter to the surface.

So far we have tracked Pumpkin up as far as Bobbejaankrans on the river approximately 20 kilometres up the river – quite far from the site that he was hooked. Jeremy seems to enjoy travelling from boat to boat, waiting to steal fish that the locals have hooked! A smart opportunistic predator!

From the data we are collecting, we are hoping to answer some pressing questions:
1. Why do Zambezi sharks occur in the Breede River?
2. What is the population size of these sharks in the river?
3. Is this population genetically separate from other Zambezi populations around South Africa?

Will keep you all posted!!!!
Cheers Tamzyn

SASC returns to the Breede River for first Zambezi shark expedition of 2010

2010-01-05T11:18:00.000+02:00

On January 21st 2010, SASC will be returning to the Breede River in an attempt to learn more about the elusive Zambezi (bull) sharks that occur in this estuarine system on the southwest coast of South Africa. With the assistance of some experienced anglers, SASC will attempt to capture, tag and track three Zambezi sharks as part of our larger Breede River Zambezi shark study.

This is an exciting new direction for SASC and our research programmes, and we hope our upcoming 2-week field trip is successful.

Stay tuned to hear how the trip went...

Green Marine Gillie Programme receives R80 000 kickstart

2009-07-03T12:40:00.000+02:00

The Overstrand Local Economic Development Agency (OLEDA) has unanimously voted to grant SASC R80 000, or approximately USD10 000, for the development and implementation of our Green Marine Gillie Programme (GMGP).

The GMGP is a unique and innovative programme designed to assist South Africa and South Africans with the development of a sustainable, eco-friendly solution to our national fisheries crisis. By retraining local subsistence fishers - many of whom lost their fishing rights in the last rights allocation process - to be responsible fishing guides SASC hopes to build a viable, multi-pronged and creative programme which benefits fishers, the environment and national and international visitors to the Overstrand Region.

Following intensive training, during which SASC will provide community-selected trainee Gillies with training in marine ecology and sustainability, fishery science, species identification, local conservation issues, general marine policy relating to resource exploitation and conservation, tourism protocol and other relevant programme-specific areas, Green Marine Gillies will become fully qualified responsible fishing guides. These guides will become service providers in their own right and thus be part of a creative job creation scheme for out-of-work fishers.

This is the first initiative of its kind in South Africa and we are hopeful the Green Marine Gillie Programme becomes a model for other job creation schemes for fishers no longer able to work in the fishing industry due to ever-declining marine resources.

Stay tuned to our website (www.sharkconservancy.org) and our blog for more information on this programme.

If you would like to contribute to this programme, please contact info@sharkconservancy.org.

Africa Geographic: May Issue

2009-05-06T08:28:00.000+02:00

The May issue of Africa Geographic is a must-read for all those interested in shark conservation in South Africa.

The cover story, written by photographer & conservationist Thomas Peschak, details the complexities of kwaZulu-Natal's shark nets, including an in depth look at the history of the nets and how they are affecting shark populations along our coastline. Check out the full story and a great video, presented by Tom, on the Save Our Seas Foundation website.

Also included in the issue is a short communication, written by Meag McCord of SASC, on Nyami Nyami - the Breede River's now infamous Zambezi shark.

Shark Angels: Shark Finning video

2009-04-21T11:19:00.002+02:00

The Shark Angels - 3 dedicated & passionate women concerned about the conservation status of sharks - have launched a fantastic new online video about the loss of sharks from marine ecosystems and the repercussions for humankind.

See what these women have to say by viewing the video and by visiting their website.

Well done to our friends Julie, Alison and Kim for their never-ending efforts to promote education, awareness and scientific study of these magnificent animals.

The importance of responsible fishing practices

2009-04-08T08:52:00.004+02:00

Many of us are aware of the implications of poor management when it comes to commercial and recreational fisheries. Declines in top predators, niche replacement and the collapse of fish stocks are just some of the "common" issues we see in the face of increasing pressure on marine resources through extraction and exploitation. But what many people don't see, or perhaps might not even consider, is the impact of other human actions on the marine realm, including pollution and irresponsible fishing practices.

People often argue that commercial fisheries cause the most damage to living marine resources - and the marine environment in general - but that is because it is often difficult to see or quantify the damages caused by our everyday activities. Activities that we can regulate; behaviours that we can change; actions that we, as individuals, can undertake to make a difference.

Take litter, for instance. Most land-based pollution ends up in the sea, floating around on the surface. Much of this litter (e.g., aluminum cans, strops from bait packets, cigarette butts) is shiny and very interesting to marine creatures like birds, turtles and sharks who, in general, are quite curious. Interactions between marine animals and human pollution often prove fatal as much of the litter is consumed by, or becomes entangled around, a particular animal. The pictures below illustrate just how damaging pollution can be to these animals.

Fishing gut tangled around the head of a seal.

A curious bird which ingested plastic and aluminum floating on the surface of the sea. The litter in the stomach makes the bird feel full, resulting in a slow death due to starvation.

Other issues include irresponsible angling practices, whereby anglers who catch and release their fish do so without cutting the line as closely to the hook as possible. Many fish become entangled in the remaining line, ultimately resulting in slow and painful deaths due, for example, to suffocation. Morne Hardenberg - avid scuba diver, photographer and shark conservationist - was diving with blue sharks off Cape Point this past weekend and bore witness to the consequences of such practices.

A small blue shark (1.5m total length) entangled in a line from fishing gear. The shark will inevitably face a slow death, likely due to suffocation and eventual decapitation as it continues to grow.

For the detailed story on Morne's dive with the blues and his feelings about seeing this shark, visit the Save Our Seas Foundation Blogspot.

In an attempt to address the issue of responsible fishing practices, SASC developed responsible angling guidelines for sharks to mitigate some of the damage done by recreational and/or commercial fishers. These guidelines were developed in association with Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) and many keen recreational anglers. You can read through these guidelines and see how you can contribute to better fishing practices by visiting our Anglers Corner.

Pop-up archival satellite tag expedition

2009-04-06T11:04:00.004+02:00

SASC, funded by the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF), recently returned to the Breede River in an attempt to deploy a pop-up archival satellite tag (PAT tag) on a Zambezi shark. The purpose of this expedition was to deploy a PAT tag and determine where the Breede River Zambezi sharks go in the winter months. PAT tags can collect data such as water depth, temperature and light intensity over a programmed period of time & provide an excellent alternative to time-intensive manual tracking activities using acoustic tags and a hydrophone.

Assisted bya team of professional anglers from Extreme Africa and several commercial fishers, we were hopeful that our attempt to catch and tag another shark would be succesful. Alas, it was not so. After 4 long days of hard fishing - sometimes in near gale force winds - we were unable to catch a Zambi, even though we had several (very) close calls.

Wesley - one of the dedicated anglers - was extremely excited when his 60cm grunter was taken by a large shark who we think, based on additional tracking activities, was Nyami Nyami (see above photo). Alison Kock of the Save Our Seas Shark Centre was also thrilled when, on the third day, the balloon attached to her line with another live grunter began moving quickly across the surface of the river. Unfortunately the shark released the grunter before we were able to reel it in. Judging by the small bite wounds on the grunter, the second shark was a small one - probably 1.5m to 2m in length.

Although we were unable to capture a second shark and deploy our PAT tag, we did manage to find and track Nyami Nyami. We were so excited that she is still in the river - at a time when many Breede River locals had predicted the sharks would have departed the estuary for warmer climes - and that her acoustic tags are still transmitting!

SASC will undertake a return trip to the Breede River to complete this component of the project in the coming months. We are sure the data collected in future from the PAT tag will help unravel some of the mystery behind this species' behaviour in South Africa.

Special thanks to all those who helped out on this expedition, including: the Save Our Seas Foundation, Gavin and Linda Clarke, Lower Breede River Conservancy, Dr. Steve Lamberth & Corne Erasmus (Marine and Coastal Management), Alison Kock, Paul Wildman, Morne Hardenberg, Alison Towner, Eugene Beukes, Danny and the team from Extreme Africa.

Nyami Nyami continues to be in the spotlight

2009-03-23T07:59:00.000+02:00

Nyami Nyami has once again made the front page - this time in Fish Magazine, a popular angling and conservation magazine developed by the team at Big Fish Safari.

An article by Hennie Papenfuss (recall the amazing professional angler originally who caught Nyami Nyami) in Volume 8 of the magazine - to which SASC contributes a regular conservation column - describes the entire fishing expedition and subsequent scientific research on the world's largest Zambezi shark.

Check out Volume 8 for Hennie's exciting story. Fish Magazine can be found in fishing stores and Exclusive Books shops country-wide. You can also visit their website (http://www.fishmag.co.za/) for more information

SASC returns to Breede River to deploy PAT tag on Zambezi shark

2009-03-13T13:27:00.000+02:00

With the assitance of the Save Our Seas Foundation, SASC will be returning to the Breede River from March 30 - April 3 2009 to deploy a pop-up archival satellite tag (PAT tag) on one of the Zambezi sharks in the river.

This will allow us to track the shark's movement for up to 3 months to determine whether these sharks move out of the estuary in the colder winter months.

Joining us on this expedition will be a film crew from the Save Our Seas Foundation, scientists from Marine and Coastal Management and conservation officers from the Lower Breede River Conservancy.

This will be the first time a PAT tag has been deployed on a Zambezi shark in South Africa and we are really excited to have this opportunity! The data collected during the 3 month deployment period will contribute valuable insight into the long-term conservation and management of Zambezi sharks in South Africa.

SASC Zambezi shark expedition a resounding success!

2009-03-13T13:23:00.000+02:00

From January 19th-25th, 2009, SASC led our second expedition to the Breede River to determine whether reports of Zambezi (bull) sharks could be confirmed. Joining us was a team from Marine and Coastal Management, conservation officers from the Lower Breede River Conservancy, a marine biologist from Marine Dynamics, and professional anglers from Big Fish Safari.

During the first 3 days we spent up to 16 hours a day fishing for Zambezi sharks - hoping one would take our live bait. On the fourth day we were rewarded for our patience when a Zambi took the bait of professional angler Hennie Papenfuss, about 5.5km upstream. Hennie gently handled the shark, letting her tow him a further 2.5km, tiring her out before we brought her close to shore and landed her on a mud bank.

One can only imagine how excited we were to finally see such a magnificent animal in the river, but our excitement did not prevent us from gathering all the necessary scientific data and attaching two acoustic tags to track her movements during the following days.

We made three very exciting and rewarding discoveries during this time:

this Zambezi shark - who we have named Nyami Nyami (the Zambezi River god) is the largest of its kind known to science, measuring 4 metres total length. The previous known maximum length for this species was 3.4-3.5 metres;
the discovery of Nyami Nyami represents a significant range extension for Zambezi sharks in South Africa, as they were only known to occur to Cape St. Francis in the Eastern Cape;
Nyami Nyami appeared heavily pregnant, suggesting the Breede River may serve as an important nursery ground for these sharks.

We proceeded to track Nyami Nyami for 43 consecutive hours which, as far as we know, is the longest time this species has been tracked. She moved up and down the estuary, following fishing boats and looking for an easy source of food, swimming as far as 15km upriver.

Provided sufficient funds can be secured, we will return to the Breede River within the next few weeks to continue our tracking and begin unravelling some of the mysteries of this beautiful and elusive shark species.

We extend a sincere thanks to the following companies for helping make this expedition a reality:

Dyer Island Conservation Trust
White Shark Projects
Big Fish Safari
Van Blommestein Slaghuis
Fruit and Veg City (Gateway, Hermanus)