Dyer Island Conservation Trust

Trash Free Environment

Still working under the theme: "Keep Trash In The Bin And Not In The Ocean". Picking up litter is a simple environmental action to make the world better. Even children can and they gladly do it. We are proud of this young generation of environmentalists who joined hands in cleaning up Masakhane on the 25th of September. This clean-up reminded us [...]

Fighting For Trash Free Seas In 2021

An estimated 150 people gathered at Gansbaai harbour to participate in International Coastal Clean Up Day, a global movement started over thirty-five years ago by the Ocean Conservancy. This is a day when the concerned citizens of the world gather to clean the coastline of human generated trash. Each area has a different signature in terms of what washes up, and [...]

Khula Cape Foundation Supports Environmental Education

The Dyer Island Conservation was very pleased to receive a R10 000 grant from the Khula Cape Foundation for their long standing environmental education programme. The mission of the Khula Cape Foundation is to preserve, promote and encourage literature, the visual and performing arts and the natural and cultural environment in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape Provinces. In 2016, the Trust [...]

Step It Up This Recycle Week

Step It Up This Recycle Week' is the theme for 2021. Recycle Week (13-18 Sep) is an annual event designed to celebrate and promote the benefits of recycling. This event on the environmental calendar highlights opportunities where we can implement positive changes that will help protect our planet. Recycle Week advertising campaigns encourages the recycling of products and packaging, so that [...]

Arbor Week 2021

To honour Arbor Day, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust collaborated with CapeNature and the Overstrand Municipality to plant 40 trees in  Willem Appeldam Picnic Area  in Stanford. Trees were sponsored by CapeNature and the Overstrand Municipality and included indigenous species -  Wild Olives,  Kei Apple,  Yellow Wood,  Cape Ash, Water Pear .  Phunyuzwa Xhegwana from CapeNature gave a brief overview of [...]

Road Trip with Plastics|SA in Preparation for International Coastal Cleanup Day

International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICCD) takes place on 18 September, and volunteers from all around the world will help to bring the goal of a plastic and litter-free ocean a little closer. The ICCD has been taking place for more than 30 years, always on the third Saturday in September. What began in 1986 with only 2,800 volunteers in Texas, United [...]

Africa’s first-ever Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Day ignites global movement to protect the oceans

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust was honoured to be part of the alliance arranging the first every Marine Protected Areas Day on the 1st August, and took part in a live webinar from the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary, and then a fun and educational twitter chat. See below the official press release for how MPA Day went, and you can [...]

Humpback dolphin study

Sandra Hörbst - Conservation biologist Back in 2016 the SouSA consortium was formed to facilitate and share data on the humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) which should to contribute towards its conservation and research. The Indian Ocean humpback dolphin is listed as 'Endangered' on the Red List. The first publication of the consortium suggests that there are likely less than 500 individuals [...]

Eagle Ray Fins Removed

On Monday the 21st of June, marine biologist Alison Towner of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust’s (DICT found an Eagle Ray (Myliobatis aquila) on Franskraal beach, Gansbaai, South Africa. The ray was notable as it had multiple stab wounds in its body, and was missing both its pectoral fins (wings). Later in the week a necropsy was performed under the guidance [...]

Carcass of Orca predated white shark near Gansbaai, 27 June 2021

On the morning of Sunday 27 June 2021, a dead white shark was reported in from Die Dam near Gansbaai, by Cape Town anglers Donovan Cole and John Pretorius. Both men had arrived on the beach to find the dead shark washed up at the surf zone. The animal was then reported into Stephan Swanson and Dr Alison Kock (SANParks) and [...]