When there are sharks: Brandon Beukes, SS-GTP Coordinator

The inaugural Shark Spotters Graduate Training Programme (SS-GTP) successfully wrapped in June, with Brandon Beukes at the helm. For two years, he co-ordinated activities to ensure its smooth running. As a marine science graduate himself, his fresh university experiences provided insight into the challenges faced by many South African marine science graduates and how to empathetically approach the programme, making him a strong fit for the position.

The towering, fynbos-painted mountains of the Cape Peninsula were, and continue to be, a constant feature in Brandon’s life. His family were residents of Simon’s Town before their removal during the apartheid regime, but he has since returned to his hometown, bringing the Beukes name back home again. For the family, connection with nature and the ocean is passed down the same way language is. It makes up an intrinsic part of their identity. Brandon retells the stories of his family using nature and the ocean as a way to let his personality shine.

“I was an outdoorsy, loud, energetic ADHD child…” he says. “They would take me to the park to tire me out. Or when I was older than seven, they would take me to the beach to tire me out…”

The campfire-style stories shared by his family members — about camping at Soetwater and Bainskloof, and real-life recollections of diving or fishing the bay — shaped his interest in marine science. Yet it was the support he received from his parents to embark on any career path his heart set its sights on that instilled the confidence to pursue postgraduate studies. He went on to graduate with a Master of Science from the University of the Western Cape.

Brandon with a tagged kob. Photo © Dr Toby Rogers

His childhood memories illustrate the profound influence of community on the way one sees the world. Even as a boy, his perception of sharks was never entirely negative. The family stories that mentioned them were not fear-driven or alarming. While he understood from the media that some shark species were dangerous, his personal experiences were different. During diving and snorkelling sessions in the bay, he often encountered smaller shark species, which only reinforced his respect for them. The only time he felt fear in the water was in Gansbaai during a shark cage dive, when he came face-to-face with a bronze whaler shark.

“The biggest thing that I take away from that is you get to see how evolutionarily adapted these sharks are for the environment… The water could be as clear as you would imagine it to be, but their shading is perfectly adapted to be only noticed at the last second, which is why they’re good at hunting,” says Brandon.

The experience he has gained at Shark Spotters, from first being an education intern to joining the research team and learning how to properly handle sharks and fishes when angling, means he is open to educating other anglers in his spare time. Over a friendly conversation about a shared love for the sport, he often finds himself softly advocating for the lives of marine animals.

Now a father of two, Brandon considers the question of how to create a positive relationship with the ocean for his children. The moments he felt most connected with the sea were those spent with his father, when their beach interactions revealed how deeply he was loved. He mirrors this in his own life, where the ocean has become a love language, a way of remembering the past and reshaping the present for a future filled with richness.

“If I could take them to Cape Point and get them to enjoy it for what it is, and understand why their actions have an impact on it [the ocean], then I consider my job as a parent to be successful.”