Last night at around 18:00, Xolani Lawu, Senior Bird Rehabilitator at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS), received a call from concerned Sandbaai resident and retired CapeNature Area Manager, Tierck Hoekstra. Tierck had spotted a dishevelled Southern Fulmar (Silwerstormvoël) a rare ocean wanderer from the icy southern seas. Xolani immediately jumped into action, meeting Tierck halfway as the rescue response [...]
With heavy storms and winds of up to 125 km/h sweeping through the Overstrand, our hearts go out to everyone who lost their homes and are now beginning the difficult task of rebuilding. We also think of those who stocked up on food and winter supplies in the freezer, only to lose everything after four days without electricity, with power restored [...]
On 25 April, community members gathered at Gansbaai Caravan Park to celebrate Earth Day under the global theme “Our Power, Our Planet,” while also marking World Penguin Day—a day dedicated to renewing our commitment to protecting all 19 penguin species found across the Southern Hemisphere. The event highlighted the urgent need to take action against habitat degradation, climate change, and the [...]
Marine Dynamics – Dyer Island Conservation Trust Team Completes Whale Disentanglement Training The Marine Dynamics – Dyer Island Conservation Trust team has completed an intensive two-day whale disentanglement training course with Mike Meyer from the South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN). The organisation is immensely proud of the team members who undertook the rigorous training to prepare themselves to assist in [...]
From 16 to 23 February, the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre team embarked on their 2026 Turtle Road Trip along the Garden Route and Southern Cape coastlines — connecting with key role players in turtle rescue and raising awareness ahead of the annual turtle hatchling stranding season. Siyolise Bezu, one of the passionate Turtle Rescue Team members. [...]
It’s been a year since the KruShan X-Ray Room opened at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary in Kleinbaai, Gansbaai — a transformative donation from Shannon and Kruger du Plessis of the KruShan Foundation. In just one year, the X-Ray Room has become a hive of activity, providing immediate, on-site diagnostics for African Penguins, seabirds, and even birds of prey. "This [...]
On Sunday, 15 February, a solitary African Penguin was spotted at the Old Harbour in Hermanus. A message was shared on the Overberg Stranding Network group about the penguin sitting quietly at the water’s edge. Ash Appleby from Southern Right Charters immediately went to assess the situation. He reported no visible injuries, but as he approached, the penguin slipped back into [...]
10 February 2026 Schalk’s journey began on 20 November 2025, when an African penguin in distress was rescued in Mossel Bay by an NSRI Station 15 volunteer. Weak and vulnerable, he was rushed to the SAPREC Seabird and Penguin Rehabilitation Centre in Mossel Bay, where it quickly became clear that this young penguin had arrived just in time. Schalk was a [...]
In February 2025, a Rockhopper penguin was found stranded on a beach in Arniston, South Africa, thousands of kilometres from home. Injured and severely underweight, likely as a result of a dog bite, and, was immediately transported to the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS). From the moment he arrived, it was clear that he had already endured a long and [...]
“For 21 years, it’s been incredible to see the same hump cutting through the waves,” says Wilfred Chivell, CEO of Marine Dynamics and Founder of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. “Each humpback dolphin we encounter is not just a fleeting glimpse of the wild; it is an individual with a story, a life, and a place in our coastal ecosystem — [...]
