The HMS Birkenhead is known worldwide for the bravery of the men who, under the captain’s command, stood back with the motto "women and children first." Also referred to as HM Troopship Birkenhead or Steam Frigate Birkenhead, she was one of the first iron-hulled ships built for the Royal Navy. Initially designed as a steam frigate, she was later converted into [...]
The KruShan Foundation, led by Kruger and Shannon du Plessis, has been a crucial partner for the Dyer Island Conservation Trust and its African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, in the fight to save the critically endangered African Penguin and support marine conservation efforts in the Overstrand region. From funding a Seabird Ranger on Dyer Island to supporting medical care at the [...]
On Wednesday, December 4th, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, powered by Marine Dynamics, undertook an extraordinary six-hour, 180-kilometer expedition to release a Rockhopper penguin back into the Agulhas Current. Earlier this year, the penguin had stranded on our shores, underweight and bearing a few wounds. It was admitted to the African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary (APSS) for treatment, rest, and recovery. [...]
On Sunday, November 17, 2024, Wilfred Chivell, CEO of Marine Dynamics and Founder of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, gathered close friends, colleagues, and family to honor Dr. Leonard Joseph Victor Compagno (1943–2024), a true pioneer in the field of shark, ray, and ghost shark research. Wilfred expressed that he felt deeply honored to know that Dr. Len’s final resting place [...]
The Dyer Island Conservation Trust Marine Month competition has become an eagerly anticipated event for Overstrand schoolchildren aged 7 to 14. They enter not only for a chance to win a Marine Dynamics Marine Safari but also to let their creativity shine, inspired by the beauty of our oceans! This was the 8th year the schools competition took place, raising awareness [...]
The Ambitious Mission of the Mouse-Free Marion Project Our recent Marine Evening welcomed guest speaker, Dr Anton Wolfaardt, Project Manager of the Mouse-Free Marion Project, who presented a powerful vision for Marion Island—a South African sub-Antarctic treasure—united by a common goal: to restore its ecosystem by eradicating invasive house mice. This ambitious conservation initiative aims to address the devastating impact of [...]
Artificial nests can increase breeding rates of critically endangered African penguins, a Nelson Mandela University-led study has found. The international team of researchers from South Africa and the UK found that artificial nests outperformed natural nests and increased breeding output by 16.5%. Did you know that these artificial penguin nests, was invented right here in Gansbaai by CEO of Marine Dynamics and [...]
On Thursday 10 October 2024, the Marine Dynamics team received a report of a stranded dolphin at the Walker Bay Nature Reserve, just before the iconic Klipgat Caves. The team, consisting of biologists and guides, Amy Webber, Sandra Hörbst, Sonja Fleck and Marine Dynamics Academy scientific intern Erika, drove to the site before descending to the beach where the dolphin could [...]
Internationally, October 12 is recognized as African Penguin Awareness Day. South Africans are painfully aware that our beloved "tuxedoed locals" might face extinction in the wild within the next few years. That’s why we are celebrating another milestone at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary (APSS). Vuka Lou, an African Penguin, returns to her home colony on Dyer Island after 153 [...]
On 17 August, our marine wildlife rehabilitator, Xolani Lawu, received an urgent call from Arniston about a special visitor—a Subantarctic fur seal—found weak along the coast. Knowing that this young seal had traveled an extraordinary distance and needed immediate care, Xolani drove the 100 kilometers to Arniston. By 20:00 that evening, they arrived safely back at the African Penguin and Seabird [...]
