Kenya (officially known as the Republic of Kenya), is a country in Africa lying on the equator with the Indian Ocean to its south-east. It is bordered by Somalia to the north-east, Ethiopia to the north, South Sudan to the north-west, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south.

A large proportion of Kenya’s tourism centres around safaris and tours of its great National Parks and Game Reserves. While most tourists do visit for safari there is also great cultural aspects of the country to explore in cities like Mombasa and Lamu on the coast. Wherever you travel in Kenya, you will find that English and Swahili are the most widely spoken and official languages. However, when you’re in the Masai Mara, your guide will more than likely speak Maa, the official language of the Masai tribe.

The Maa languages are a group of closely related Eastern Nilotic languages spoken in parts of Kenya and Tanzania by more than a million speakers altogether. They are subdivided into North and South Maa and are related to the Lotuko languages spoken in South Sudan. To make your life easier, here are some key Swahili  and Maa phrases you might want to have handy on your travels in the region:

Southern Maa

• Thank you – ashi
• Pleasure or Welcome – Karibu
• Stop – dashu
• Go – maape
• Cheetah – olowaru keri
• Leopard – Okenyala sho
• Wildebeest – ongatta
• Zebra – olotiko
• Lion – olngatuny
• Sopa – how are you
• Beautiful – sedai
• Ostrich – osedai
• Try – tonyua
• Come – ou

 Swahili

• Thank you –  Asante
• Pleasure or Welcome – Karibu
• Stop – simama
• Go –  twende
• Leopard –  chuwe
• Wildebeest –  ngati
• Zebra –  punda mulia
• Lion –  simba
• Sopa –  habari
• Beautiful –  maridade
• Ostrich – osedai
• Try –  jaribu
• Come – kuja
• Kekerok – dark trees

Most importantly, after taking in your first sighting of wildebeest crossing the Mara river, sit back and request an ice cold Kanyan Beer:

NiNa taka Tusker beridi Sanaa…

Can I have a cold Tusker please…

Thanks to Dixon and Francis for providing all the information for this post. You guys are legends in your own right!

Be sure to keep an eye out for this weeks chat which promises to be the most revealing and exciting chat in the series to date!

In this weeks chat:

Industry News

• Wilderness Safaris App for iPad
• Rare sighting of the Yellow form of the Crimson breasted Shrike
• Xigera Camp in Botswana go’s 100% Solar Powered

Main Feature

• Affordable wildlife experiences
• Mosethlha Bush Camp
• Selous Tented Camp
• Gomo Gomo Game Lodge
• Umkumbe Safari Lodge

Destination of the Week

• The Morukuru Family of Lodges in Madikwe Game Reserve

Luckily for me, I had one of the most incredible days that I have ever spent in the bush and rather than harping on about the wide open spaces, sheer numbers of wildlife, ecological diversity and abundance of predators, it takes a brief summary of a single morning drive to put it all into context. The penultimate day of our seven night stay in the magical Masai Mara was here and has the majority of the group headed out for their hot air balloon trip and champagne breakfast, 2 vehicles set out at 6:30am on what would be the game drive of a lifetime.

The Kiboko camp is located in one of the most central locations in terms of viewing wildebeest crossing the Mara river. The previous days had seen more and more wildebeest pour in from the southeast and gather on the open plains on the northern banks of the river. A later group had already started to congregate less than 500m from our camp and as we approached, continued to grow in size as more and more wildebeest made their way hastily towards the riverbanks.

Sitting and waiting patiently for what appeared to be shaping up into a fantastic crossing, our groups attention was drawn away by a female leopard moving along the near bank. In the preceding nights we had heard this female and male mating in camp. She moved secretively along the rivers edge before being spotted by the wildebeest on the opposite bank. This obviously startled the herd, now numbering in the thousands, and forced many individuals to move away from the river and back onto the open plains.

As we pre-empted the movement of the leopard and waited for her to re-appear further down stream, our attention was grabbed by a beautiful male lion that appeared on the far bank. After a short while, an adult female joined him to investigate what the comotion was all about. Their steady gaze gave away the leopards exact position and we continued to move further downstream, hoping to catch a glimpse of this beautiful creature as she climbed back up the steep riverbanks.

Our plan could not have come together any better as we caught some movement in the adjacent bush before stopping and waiting for her to pop out onto the open. She cautiously moved over the open ground before disappearing back down the banks of the river, giving us only a couple of seconds to rattle off some frames.

What a start to the morning! A potential crossing, leopard and lions all within 500m of one another, the Mara was really delivering.

Now that the predators had moved off, the wildebeest continued to build in numbers along the northern banks of the Mara River. No sooner had we come down from the high of our fantastic leopard sighting before the first wildebeest took the plunge into the river! We sat and watched as a couple of thousand wildebeest followed suite and made their way into the Mara Triangle.

Having witnessed our 5th crossing of the trip, both vehicles opted to head further south in search of a cheetah and her cubs, which we had seen on a number of occasions in the previous days. The cubs were still very young and the female was intent on hiding them in the long grass. We had had fantastic sightings but not many photographic opportunities. Riding our wave of luck, we spotted her way out in the middle of a large grassy plain as she scanned the horizon in search of her next meal.

The plains were extremely sparse, apart from a couple of zebra and Topi and we watched as she made her way back to the cubs, stopping to perch on termite mounds at regular intervals to search the plains below. As she mad her way back up the hill where she had hidden the cubs, we were presented with the perfect photographic opportunity.

It was now 9:30 and after the incredible morning we had had we decided it was time for breakfast. Our guide, Lerali pulled up next to a lone Acacia tree which gave us a fantastic view over the herds that were gathering in the northern banks. After half an hour we kicked off the second part of our drive and headed down to an isolated peninsula to check on the progress of a large gathering. Most vehicles had raced further up stream to catch another crossing which had just started, leaving only our two vehicles in the area – something which is pretty rare in the Masai Mara.

Initially, the herd was milling around in the thickets and there was not much energy or anticipation of a crossing in the air. Suddenly, masses of wildebeest poured into the thickets and the group worked up into a frenzy. A crossing was now imminent, we could feel it in the air and so could the wildebeest.

A small group cautiously approached the waters edge before the frantic herd gave them the last bit of courage to take the plunge, and as they did, 18000 followed suite over a period of 57 minutes. The sheer numbers of wildebeest that continued to pour in from the plains was incredible.

All in all, we sat watching what turned out to be one of the most spectacular crossings of the week. It was now 11:00 and after the morning we had experienced, it was time to crack open an ice cold Tusker and take in the magic of the Mara.

So, how was my trip to the Masai Mara?

Unbelievable…

I am very excited about a new feature spot that I have been able to secure in Photo-Africa’s weekly video chat!

This weekly video blog is hosted by Gerry van Der Walt and focusses on a variety of photography related issues such as Lightroom tutorials, camera gear reviews, book reviews and and and, the list just doesn’t end! If you havent watched one of these weekly chats yet, click here to check out editions 1-17!

This new feature, Talking Travel with Andrew, will become a weekly event and will aim to provide all of you keen travellers out there with a range of travel related information. I aim to cover everything from interesting sightings from specific camps and conservation areas, destination reviews, travel tips, right the way through to the latest industry news and more! If you have any travel related questions or would like to suggest ideas for future episodes, feel free to drop me a line and I will see what I can do to include get the answers you need, even if it means bringing in an expert!

Anyway, you can check out my first feature in this weeks chat which I have embedded below. Enjoy!

The apparent lack of concern around the conservation status of Mapungubwe has lead to the development of The Coalition Group, consisting of local community members and experts within the heritage and conservation fields, that aims to prevent any further development of the intended opencast and underground coal mine that is to be located less than 6 km from the Mapungubwe National Park and the Mapungubwe World Heritage site.

So why is Mapungubwe so Important?

The following is a media release which I received from The Endangered Wildlife Trust this morning and it highlights just how important it is for this unique area to be developed responsibly.

Vanessa Bristow believes we need to protect the Mapungubwe region against industrial development because “once we’ve lost this battle there’s nothing left for anybody”.

Vanessa is well acquainted with the traces that ancient life has left behind. She feels that at Mapungubwe there is an overwhelming sense of “enormous history” and evidence of how time has “carved its way through the landscape”.

However, the authorisation given to an Australian company called Coal of Africa Limited (CoAL) to construct an open-cast coal mine, called the Vele Colliery, just outside of the boundaries of the Mapungubwe National Park will affect this fragile natural harmony. To Bristow, without these pristine wilderness areas, “the world would be a much sadder place.”

Bristow, like many others, believes that the Mapungubwe region should be preserved and protected from the impacts of infrastructural development, and allowed to remain pristine for generations to come.

An especially worrying facet of industrial development at Mapungubwe is the possible permanent loss of a “green”, nature-based tourism destination. If mining is allowed to continue here, the area will over time be transformed to “brown” industrial development. The impact of this could be the loss of a 2-million hectare transfrontier conservation area existing between Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, which has the potential to deliver a similar wildlife product to the Kruger National Park, with the added element of the cultural global significance.

A fully functioning Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) has been a desired state attribute since the inception of the Mapungubwe National Park. The extension of the cultural landscape will improve its authenticity and integrity and so make it more attractive to tourists.

Vele colliery’s own Environment Management Plan states that the mine will employ 826 permanent employees, resulting in an impact on the direct livelihood of approximately 1 495 people. Jobs in mines often come with serious health and social impacts, and at the end of the coal mine’s estimated 29-year life span, the employment opportunities will end. What’s more, the mine’s figures do not take into account the jobs that will be lost in other burgeoning industries in the region such as agriculture and tourism.

In comparison, in the tourism sector at least 700 permanent jobs currently exist in the core of the Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA). The conservative estimate is that within the TFCA 3 904 direct jobs will be created over the next 15 years. Jobs in this sector also employ a wider mixture of people, including women and elderly people.

An important difference between economic opportunities from mining and tourism, is that the tourism sector’s employment opportunities are sustainable and depend on an intact environment, which in turn, will continue to contribute towards the health of all neighbouring communities and the country’s GDP for the benefit of future generations. Tourism income also stays within a country and does not flow out to foreign investors and shareholders.

The Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape offers unique opportunities for many other forms of job creation that are sustainable, more socially equitable and less environmentally damaging. With the world moving towards the development of green economies, the opportunity that South Africa has to take advantage of the uniqueness of this special place should surely prevail over the desire of a few investors to transform it for short-term gain.

If local people lose their access to natural and cultural resources, the income from any jobs in mines will have to be significant, and sustainable to compensate for this. As such the opportunity cost of these jobs must also be carefully measured.

Find out more about the campaign to Save Mapungubwe at www.savemapungubwe.org.za  or join the Save Mapungubwe community on Facebook

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE MAPUNGUBWE

The Save Mapungubwe Coalition Group aims to prevent any further development of the intended opencast and underground coal mine that is to be located near Mapungubwe, a World Heritage Site.

The Coalition Group believes that mining should be conducted in a responsible manner and not within an area where there are better, sustainable options for land use.

The Coalition Group consists of a number of civil society organisations, namely:

• the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA),
• BirdLife South Africa (BLSA),
• ·the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT),
• the Mapungubwe Action Group (MAG),
• the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF),
• the Wilderness Foundation South Africa (WFSA), and
• the World Wide Fund for Nature (South Africa) (WWF).

The Coalition is currently appealing the mining right granted by the Department of Mineral Resources as well as the associated approval of the Environmental Management Programme. The Coalition further launched interdict proceedings to stop CoAL from carrying on any mining or related operations on the Vele site, lodged a notice of intention to appeal the environmental authorisation granted to CoAL by the Department of Environmental Affairs in the first s.24G application for rectification of illegal activities and lodged an appeal against the water use licence granted to Limpopo Coal in March 2011.

]]> http://www.moyawatenga.co.za/mapungubwe-a-valuable-green-tourism-destination/feed/ 0 http://www.moyawatenga.co.za/reflective-space-is-a-winner/ http://www.moyawatenga.co.za/reflective-space-is-a-winner/#comments Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:26:23 +0000 Andrew Beck http://www.moyawatenga.co.za/?p=3264 After many years of taking photos and having hundreds of images just sitting on my hard drive or hanging on walls in my house, I finally decided to pluck up the courage and start entering some competitions. Much of this motivation was thanks to Gerry van Der Walt of Photo-Africa who not only gave me the push I needed, but also recommended some very inspiring and informative books for me to read.

I guess that my hesitation in entering competitions was in part attributed to the fact that images which I personally took great pride in, and was inspired to create, would be subject to public opinion. What would others think of my images? Were they good enough? What would they say about them? These were the things that ran through my mind and held me back from exposing my images to public scrutiny. After all, I enjoyed them. I was proud of them. I had been inspired to take the photograph and create the memory. That is what mattered to me and that is what photography was about for me for a long time.

After reading books like “The War of Art” & “Do The Work” by Stephen Pressfield my outlook on this whole scenario changed .

The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline. Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself.

Stephen Pressfield

I was no longer worried about the perceptions or potential criticisms of others, nor about the potential to fail in these sorts of competitions. I realised that by entering competitions and sharing my images with others would allow me to build value in myself. Nothing else would change, other than my perceptions and ideas around these competitions. I would still enjoy my images. I would still be proud of my images. The inspiration to take the photograph and create the memory would still be there, only now, it would be fuelled with an even deeper purpose.

I made the decision to enter competitions for myself. Not with the aim of winning. Nor with the fear of loosing. But with the aim of conquering the enemy that every one of us must face, an internal foe, resistance.

This may seem like a very intense and deep blog post but this whole process has been somewhat of a personal victory for me. An image I submitted to both Getaway Magazine  and Africa Geographic publications, was chosen as a monthly winner in their September & July issues respectively.

When I found out that the image was chosen as a winning shot, I was ecstatic. Not because of the prizes or the publicity, nor the fact that others had validated my image, but because I had overcome my resistance to even partake in these sorts of events and won! The positive feedback and recognition that the image received from the various judges was an absolute bonus for me, as are the prizes. Interestingly, when entering the image I had titled it “Reflective Space”, not realising how much it had actually forced me to sit in my own reflective & contemplative space…

The take home message?

Don’t let resistance get the better of you. Ever. Be it in the work environment, at home, or in your personal matters. Conquering resistance and other obstacles of our ambitions will ensure that new doors are opened and that we slowly but surely move closer to achieving our ultimate goals and dreams.

I am entering the start of a new chapter in my life in so many ways (but more on that at a later stage) and I know that resistance will always be there to make me struggle, but for now, I have managed to conquer my internal foe!

After stopping to watch some hippo resting on the sand banks on the far side of the Luangwa River I began to scan the downstream section of the river. It was then that a flash of white caught my attention. It was the creamy white belly of a crocodile that was very obviously feeding on something.

As you can see, there were a number of Hippos in close proximity but they seemed pretty relaxed until one suddenly lunged forward to chase the crocodile out of the shallow waters.

The crocodile disappeared beneath the water for a while but from the number of other crocs making their way from both the upstream and downstream regions, there was clearly something worth investigating. After a brieft period a croc surfaced in the middle of the river, still grasping whatever it was that it had found in the shallows. We were still not sure what it was at this stage. More and more crocodiles approached the middle of the river, jostling for position alongside the original crocodile before thrashing around in an effort to get a piece of the action.

At this point, we counted more than twenty crocodiles either already at the carcass , or making their way to it. One of the crocodiles was noticeably larger than the others and after a while, grabbed the carcass and disappeared beneath the water, leaving the rest drifting around the river.

When this large croc resurfaced, a little closer to the near bank of the river, there was only one other crocodile in tow. These two then proceeded to thrash about in the water in an effort to get the majority share of what was left of the carcass.

Once again, the larger of the two crocodiles came away with the bulk of what was now clearly a young hippo carcass (the colour of the flesh can be seen in the next sequence of images) and moved off to finish off the hard won prize.

It is very unlikely that the crocodiles were able to actually kill a young hippo although they have been recorded to do so in the past. Female hippos are known for their persistance in defending their calves against predators and the relaxed state of the hippos at the beginning of our sighting would suggest that the crocodile was not responsible for actually killing the calf. The calf could have died from complications during birth or perhaps from some other natural cause.

Crocodile hatchlings generally feed on smaller prey, preferring insects and small aquatic invertebrates before taking on fish, amphibians and eventually, small reptiles. Juveniles and subadults take a wider variety of prey with additions such as birds and small to mid-sized mammals. Throughout their lives, both young and mature crocodiles feed on fish and other small vertebrates, when larger food is absent, as a side diet. Adult crocodiles are considered apex predators and prey upon various birds, reptiles and mammals in addition to prey consumed also by the young and juvenile specimens. Among the mammals, diet consists of various antelope species (such as impala & wildebeest), zebra, warthog, young hippos and even some of the big cats found in Africa. Most of these are killed whilst drinking at the waters edge.

We were very lucky to be in the right place at the right time as mother nature turned our otherwise fairly quiet game drive into one that we will all remember for years to come!

Recent noteworthy research is helping the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to better manage the interactions between birds and electrical infrastructure. The EWT first identified a conservation need around wildlife and power line interactions in 1996. The most common problems are electrocution of perched birds, and birds colliding with power lines. Birds can also cause short circuits in the electricity supply, which costs both Eskom and the electricity user.

Ludwig’s Bustard threatened by power line collisions

A species of particular concern to conservationists involved in wildlife and power line mitigation is the Ludwig’s Bustard Neotis ludwigii. This bird, which is near-endemic to southern Africa, is extremely susceptible to collisions with power lines, and was uplisted to globally Endangered in 2010 based on the anticipated population decline stemming from this form of mortality. Surveys suggest that at least 11-15% of the population may be killed annually on high-voltage transmission lines, although actual mortality is probably much higher given biases in carcass detection and the fact that estimates exclude mortality on lower voltage distribution lines and telephone wires. Given a global population of about 56 000 – 81 000 birds in the late 1980s, this mortality seems unsustainable.

In light of this, research is being conducted to find out more about the impacts of collisions on populations of this long lived species, and to investigate ways to mitigate this through censuses, mortality surveys, marker experimentation and satellite tracking. Initial census counts indicate a population decline, and line surveys across the South African range reveal high variation in collision rates. Three satellite tags have already been deployed on male Ludwig’s Bustards, and initial results indicate that their daily movements are relatively short. As such occasional large-scale movements may pose the greatest threat to these birds.

A need for systematic power line collision surveys

A 199 km stretch of power line was recently surveyed in the Overberg region, and 123 bird carcasses of at least 18 species were found. Collisions were more common than electrocutions, apparently killing 88% of the birds found on distribution lines. Large terrestrial birds were the most numerous victims, with many Blue Cranes and Denham’s Bustards Neotis denhami killed. 54% of all carcasses were Blue Cranes. About 12% of the total Blue Crane population within the Overberg study area could be killed annually in power line collisions. This represents a possibly unsustainable source of mortality, and highlights the urgent need for further research into risk factors.

The survey again highlights the hazard that power lines pose to birds, and the urgent need for further research into the population impacts of the high incidence of collisions. Locating and mitigating collision ‘hotspots’ (short sections of line where multiple collision events have occurred) may be the most effective approach to reducing collision mortality in this region.

Bird mortality on power lines in South Africa is currently recorded on the Central Incident Register (CIR), which is a collation of incidentally reported cases, managed by the Endangered Wildlife Trust. The Overberg study estimated that only 2.6% of power line mortalities in that area are reported, emphasising the importance of systematic surveys in quantifying mortality and directing mitigation.

Mitigating with bird visual capacity in mind

An important factor in bird collisions with power lines that previously received little attention is birds’ visual capacity. In a recent research project, visual fields were determined in three birds known to frequently collide with power lines: White Storks Ciconia ciconia, Blue Cranes Anthropoides paradiseus and Kori Bustards Ardeotis kori. All three species live in open habitats and are visually guided ground feeders with large eyes. While all three have the narrow and vertically long binocular frontal visual fields typical of birds that use vision to guide the capture of prey in the bill, they differ markedly in the vertical extent of their binocular field. As such, the extent of the blind spot ahead of the birds, above and below their binocular fields differs. When a bird is in flight, vertical movement of the head such as when birds scan the ground below for foraging or roost sites, can blind it in the direction of travel. In bustards and cranes head movements of only 25° and 35° respectively are enough to render the birds blind in the direction of travel, but storks require head movements of 55°. As such, bustards and cranes are probably more vulnerable to power line collisions because of the small size of their binocular fields and their substantial blind spots. These findings may also apply to other bird families that are prone to collisions, including some of the larger diurnal raptors that have small binocular fields similar to those of bustards and cranes.

Because visual fields vary among bird species, it is unlikely that we will find one solution to all collisions. While line marking is probably effective for storks, birds such as bustards will need additional solutions, although we recommend that power lines continue to be marked. Distracting these birds away from obstacles or encouraging them to land nearby, so making them more aware of their surroundings and of marked power lines, may help to prevent collisions.

The EWT’s Wildlife & Energy Programme’s main activity is the Eskom – EWT Strategic Partnership. This Programme was formed in response to increasing concern over wildlife being harmed by Eskom’s infrastructure. The partnership aims to minimise mortalities through research, input into the design of new infrastructure, the replacement of older, more harmful structures, and by collecting and analysing wildlife mortality data. It also trains Eskom staff in wildlife interactions with their infrastructure. These activities are funded through agreements with various Eskom divisions, and today this partnership stands unique in the world as a successful home-grown solution, designed for an African environment and implemented by Africans. The Programme is also expanding its activities into other African countries, most notably Kenya, where an initial risk assessment of the infrastructure has been conducted, and presentations have been given to the electrical utility.

Full reports are available:

• Jenkins, A.R., Shaw, J.M., Smallie, J.J., Gibbons, B., Visagie, R. & Ryan, P.G. In press. Estimating the impacts of power line collisions on Ludwig’s Bustards Neotis ludwigii. Bird Conservation International.
• Shaw, J.M., Jenkins, A.R., Smallie, J.J. & Ryan, P.G. 2010. Modelling power-line collision risk for the Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus in South Africa. Ibis 152: 590-599, and Shaw, J.M., Jenkins, A.R., Ryan, P.G. & Smallie, J.J. 2010. A preliminary survey of avian mortality on power lines in the Overberg, South Africa. Ostrich 81: 109-113
• Martin, G.R. & Shaw, J.M. 2010. Bird collisions with power lines: Failing to see the way ahead? Biological Conservation 143: 2695-2702

Contact:

Jon Smallie

Programme Manager: Wildlife & Energy Programme

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Tel: +27 (0) 11 486 1102

Email: jons@ewt.org.za

Jessica Shaw

Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology

DST/NRF Centre of Excellence

University of Cape Town

Tel: +27 (0)21 650 3306

jessica.shaw@uct.ac.za

Or

Hayley Komen

EWT media office

Tel: +27 (0)11 486 1102

Email: media@ewt.org.za

Gansbaai is a hot spot for Great White sharks and through the efforts of the Marine Dynamics Crew, including an onboard marine biologist, a large database of fin identification has been established, and patterns of behaviour established. Ongoing studies are planned to discover more about their habits in the shallows during the summer months. Acquiring new knowledge and creating awareness through education is vital to conserving this species.

Introduction

Great White sharks have been IUCN red listed since 1996, and Cites appendix II since 2004. They have been fully protected in SA since 1991.

Gansbaai has been established as an extremely important hotspot for Great White sharks and food is believed to be the main attraction to the area. In winter months (May – September), Geyser Rock, adjacent to Dyer Island, provides a banquet of juvenile Cape fur seals(Arctocephalus pusilus pusilus) born each year. Various fish species such as Geelbek, Snoek and Yellowtail are available in seasonal abundance, along with smaller shark species such as soupfin shark (also known as vaalhaai), upon which the Great White Shark feeds.

Up until now, our Marine Biologist, Alison Towner, has been working on building a shark identification data base. Just as human beings have a unique finger print, Great White Sharks can be identified by their dorsal fins. We use two methods of photo identification to identify individual sharks from one another.

1. Dorsal Fin identification: Using the trailing edge of the dorsal fin we can distinguish specific notch marking sequences. These are individual to sharks and can now be recognised accurately by using the latest computer program technology.

1. Sub-surface identification: Under water film footage and photography can enable us to identify great white sharks even more accurately by matching specific pigmentation markings on three marked areas of each shark by their gills pelvic fins and tails .

The Problem

We remain uncertain of the reasons why we see sharks patrolling the surf zone of the swimming beaches during the summer months. No one has been able to explain the incentive behind this habitat use, whether it is breeding or feeding. There are numerous interactions between White sharks and other marine animals such as dolphins, whales and seals – a unique situation rarely encountered anywhere else in the world.

The Solution

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust together with Marine Dynamics, have funded a custom designed research vessel called Lwazi (“Knowledge” in Xhosa) and developed a project where we acoustically track sharks in our area during the summer months to assess their behaviour.

The Way Ahead: Discover & Protect

Our ultimate goal is protection of the Great White shark species. As a result of adequate tracking data over a reasonable time period and better understanding of the white sharks usage of Gansbaai’s shallows, we can more effectively protect the white shark and its specific key foraging areas whilst informing and protecting beach users. Interactions between other marine life and great white sharks are determined and communicated to scientists in various marine life fields which presents the unique opportunity to network and asses the white sharks role within the entire marine ecosystem.