Blogs

“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” (Baba Dioum, 1968) When school groups visit the Shark Education Centre, we teach them about the wonders of the sea. Some of the kids…

The Marine Explorers group from Capricorn Primary have really taken to the surfing lessons this term.  Our aim is to positively connect these children to the ocean and what better way than learning how to safely ride some fun little waves at Muizenberg.

The Shark Education Centre’s aim is to connect people to the Ocean. We do this through our experiential education programme which encourages learning through play! Our interactive lessons focus on sharks and the local marine ecosystem. The lessons are adapted to ensure we reach children whether they are in Grade…

In 2014 the decision was made to re-invent the Shark Centre at Kalk Bay as the Save Our Seas Foundation’s Shark Education Centre, which would focus specifically on school-level education – although adults would also be welcome! In order to do this, educational staff would have to be appointed and…

Angling is a popular pastime enjoyed by more than a million people across South Africa. While the number of recreational fishers has increased substantially over the past century, catch rates have steadily decreased… To reverse this trend, WWF South Africa partnered with the South African Shark Conservancy (SASC), the Oceanographic Research…

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is an area of coastline or ocean that is specially protected for the benefit of people and nature. On 24 October 2018, the South African government approved the declaration of 20 additional Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in our country! These MPAs will allow for further…

This week, 8-12 October, we celebrate National Marine Week! As humans, we are integrally linked to the Ocean… It is a place of beauty, recreation and a source of livelihood for many South Africans. The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) is a signatory and participant in various global programmes that…

In partnership with volunteer organizations around the globe, the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Clean-Up mobilizes individuals to have an immediate and tangible impact on the health of our ocean. It takes place on the 3rd Saturday of September each year, so that means it is on Saturday 15 September 2018.…

Camouflage is an adaptation that helps an organism blend in with its surroundings. Camouflage in the animal kingdom works in various forms. Organisms may use their ability to blend in for different reasons, but ultimately it helps an animal to survive and reproduce. Many of the creatures that we find…

Sea anemones are some of the most interesting rock pool creatures that we see at Dalebrook, Kalk Bay.  There are many different species of sea anemone, and they come in so many colours, shapes and sizes that sometimes people aren’t sure if what they’re looking at is a sea anemone…

During our rocky shores explorations with school groups we find so many wonderful creatures and share the excitement of discovery and getting up close to marine life. There are frequent human-animal interactions during these sessions – starfish and octopus probably being the most likely to elicit squeals of joy (from…

Going to the beach is awesome, and can be a lot of fun! But there are also some safety concerns to be aware of… aside of the more obvious ones (like water safety!), here are four things to watch out for: Bluebottles: Bluebottles are also known as Portuguese Man O’…

One of the real challenges for NGO’s and education centres is how exactly we assess the impact that we are having with our programmes. This goes beyond just a case of keeping a detailed listing of schools, numbers of educators and kids, visitor numbers, etc. and it also needs to…

I have been asked some interesting and fun questions by our visitors over the holidays.  Some of these questions caused me to do a bit of research so thank you all for helping me learn some cool sharky facts. Here are the some of the questions that we get asked…

Each day millions of plastic bottles are thrown away around the world, from water to laundry detergent bottles. This is particularly relevant to us here in Cape Town during the current drought crisis, as there are a lot of plastic bottles around due to everyone buying water. Anyone who’s environmentally…