Arbour Week is a time for South Africans to celebrate the importance of trees and forests in our environment and communities. This year, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust partnered with the Grootbos Foundation to mark the occasion with a meaningful initiative: planting 25 trees for 2025 under the theme “Our Forest – Our Future.” Together with learners and educators from Gansbaai [...]
The Dyer Island Conservation Trust is proud to announce that the Royal Portfolio Foundation Lookout Tower has finally been completed on Dyer Island, marking a critical step forward in protecting the critically endangered African Penguin. This project was made possible thanks to the Royal Portfolio Foundation’s full funding of the initiative. “Their generosity turned an ambitious idea into a working reality, [...]
On the 08th of August, a southern right whale calf washed ashore near Struisbaai, prompting an immediate response from a dedicated team from Marine Dynamics and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. The stranding was reported via the local marine stranding group, and with the tide rising quickly, the team had only a narrow window to act. Despite the time constraints, they [...]
Kleinbaai, South Africa – 8 August 2025 – This year, our celebration of World Ranger Day came with a splash – quite literally! While the official day falls on 31 July, rough seas postponed our plans, so we marked this special occasion on 8 August with calmer waters and brighter skies. Marine Dynamics and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust were honoured [...]
The highly pathogenic H5 strain of Avian Influenza has once again been detected in seabirds along the Western Cape coastline. Seabirds affected thus far during the current outbreak: Hartlaub’s Gulls near Cape Town and Great White Pelicans near Malmesbury. These are the first detections of HPAI in wild birds in the Western Cape since April 2024 and the first reports of [...]
Each year on Mandela Day, South Africans are encouraged to give 67 minutes of their time in service to others, honouring the legacy of Nelson Mandela’s 67 years of fighting for social justice. This year, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust proudly partnered with Gansbaai Tourism, CapeNature, and local volunteers for a meaningful clean-up in the heart of Masakhane. Volunteers from different [...]
Before the first Hadida awoke in Lynnwood, Pretoria, Marine Dynamics CEO and Dyer Island Conservation Trust founder, Wilfred Chivell, along with Public Relations Officer Christine Wessels, were already at the Groot Ontbyt (kykNET Channel 144) studios to join presenters Jennifer Myburg and Suân Müller-Marais for a live broadcast. The segment highlighted Marine Dynamics Shark and Whale Tours’ unique model of non-consumptive [...]
Just three weeks ago, we turned the key on our brand-new Rescue and Retrieve Vehicle — and already it’s been a lifeline for some of our ocean’s most vulnerable. We owe an enormous thank you to André Breytenbach and the team at Cape Town City Toyota for putting this hero on wheels in our hands. Because of them, our coastline’s wild [...]
On Monday, 30 June 2025, Wilfred Chivell — CEO of Marine Dynamics and Founder of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust — was honoured to attend the Marine OECM Roadmap Handover Event hosted by WWF South Africa. Opening the event, Dr Morne du Plessis, CEO of WWF, reminded everyone why the work ahead is so critical: “The African Penguin is now the most endangered [...]
The 2025 CapeNature Conservation Review gathered conservation leaders, researchers, and stakeholders for two days of vital discussions on the state of conservation in the Western Cape. This annual review is an important platform where CapeNature — the public institution entrusted with managing the province’s protected areas and biodiversity — shares updates on challenges like invasive species, fire, habitat loss, marine poaching, [...]
