Leatherback stranding December 17, 2011 by dyertrust While filming with Blue Note Productions for their latest documentary in 3D, marine biologist Oliver Jewell discovered a deceased stranded Leatherback turtle amongst the rocks. I couldn't believe it, I just happened to look down and bam, it was there! Leatherback turtles are the largest living turtle in the world. Their front flippers [...]
Spoilt for choice! August 14, 2011 by dyertrust I think the sharks must have started reading our Marine Dynamics newsletters. In July we left off hoping that our sightings would improve and that we would see at least one more spell of activity at Dyer Island again before winter season draws to an end. After a very dry sharky phase at [...]
MARINE BIG 5 CONSERVATION MARQUEE AT HERMANUS WHALE FESTIVAL August 28, 2011 by dyertrust Every year Hermanus celebrates the arrival of the Southern Right whales. The statistics for ocean pollution makes for very grim reading – a study done in 2006 by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) estimates that every square mile of ocean is infested with around 46,000 pieces [...]
Shark Entertainment Inc. donates to DICT December 15, 2011 by dyertrust For Dyer Island Conservation Trust's senior biologist, Alison Towner, Christmas came early. Once they wrapped up shooting for 2012s Discovery Channel Shark Week, Jeff Kurr of Shark Entertainment Inc. donated the Shark Spy system. Shark Spy is an underwater HD panning/zooming camera that can be mounted at the bottom of [...]
Baby Cape fur seal stranded at Danger Point December 15, 2011 by dyertrust During the month of December, we often get many reports of stranded Cape fur seal pups. Pupping time is in full swing and the massive (+300kg) adult males are still on the island causing chaos defending their territories from rival malesand it is during that chaos that many [...]
A busy July for Alison Towner and the Great white sharks July 26, 2011 by dyertrust July 2011 Studying great white sharks for the last five years in Gansbaai, I have often found myself out at sea wondering just what the sharks are up to on the other side of the headland- in False Bay. I have often imagined the same [...]
Shark sightings February 21, 2011 by dyertrust February 2011 has been an excellent month. We have encountered some spectacular white shark sightings and a drastic improvement on shark numbers from December/January. Interestingly, white shark presence has only been documented at Dyer Island and not in the normal shallow water reef system of Jouberts dam. The only female shark we saw in [...]
SHARK & RAY RESEARCH MEETING February 27, 2011 by dyertrust Alison Towner and I attended the Southern African Shark and Ray Meeting hosted by the KZN Sharks Board in mid February. The first meeting of its kind, it offered the opportunity for scientists from across the country and Mozambique the chance to present their research and share ideas. The conference also [...]
SHARK CONSERVATION SOCIETY VISITFebruary 24, 2011 by dyertrustOn the 7th of January our eco-tourism partner,Photo: Dr. Liesel Trollope prepares the aneasthetic drug assisted by Albert Scholtz ofPhoto credit: Hardus BothaGansbaai Courant
Introducing our first Leeds Uni masters candidate June 12, 2012 by dyertrust Ill have to go with the old clich and say, Ive loved sharks since I can remember. My parents are still trying to fathom where it started. I grew up in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England; a city not particularly well known for producing marine biologists. As [...]