CAPE FUR SEALSeptember 05, 2010 by dyertrustCAPE FUR SEALORDER:PinnipediaFAMILY:OtariidaeGENUS:ArctocephalusSPECIES:pusillusSUBSPECIES:pusillusThe Cape Fur Seal breeds at > 40 colonies in southern Africa between Algoa Bay (Port Elizabeth) and baia dos Tigres (southern Angola), at mainland sites or on islands nearby the coast. There have been several new colonies established in recent decades. In South Africa, seals are protected under the Seabirds and Seals [...]
DOLPHINSSeptember 05, 2010 by dyertrustDOLPHINSWhich species of dolphins do we find around Dyer Island ?There are 2 different species of dolphins which are regular visitors in our waters; the Humpback dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin.We have a resident pod of humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) around Dyer Island. These dolphins can be easily confused with the bottlenose dolphin. Humpback dolphins have [...]
Dyer Island Blog #8 ? 06 October 2009September 05, 2010 by dyertrustDyer Island Blog #806 October 2009Major news the past few weeks in South Africas marine environment was the grounding of the bulk carrier Seli 1 shortly before midnight on Monday 7th September at Blouberg in Cape Town. This 29-year- old Turkish ship was headed for Gibraltar and was carrying 660 [...]
Waiting for our tagging permitAugust 16, 2010 by dyertrustby DICTs Marine Biologist Alison TownerAs we wait for our tagging permit, we are certainly enjoying some awesome sharks this month, with an average of 6-10 sharks per trip seen of Shark Fever.Weather conditions have been relatively stable for mid winter with only a couple of small cold fronts passing through the area. [...]
BAGS OF RUBBISH COLLECTED FROM DANGER POINT BEACHJuly 23, 2010 by dyertrustOn Friday 23rd July, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust together with the 6th Grade class from Blompark Primary hoped to make a difference and headed off to Danger Point for a beach clean up.Teams of four were formed and together with the assistance of the international volunteers from Marine Dynamics [...]
FIRST CALF SPOTTED IN WALKER BAYJuly 23, 2010 by dyertrustEvan Austin fromAfrican Wing Chartershas the enviable job of flying every day and witnessing some incredible sights off our coastline. This week he had the first Southern Right whale calf sighting.We first spotted him/her on Wednesday 14 July and managed to get this picture. We have spotted it on all flights since [...]
PROPOSED NUCLEAR POWER STATION TO CREATE PERMANENT CHANGES IN MARINE ENVIRONMENTJuly 22, 2010 by dyertrustEskom has identified three sites along the South African coastline as potential plots for a Nuclear Power Station (NPS). Although not the first preferred site, Bantamsklip, just over 20kms from Gansbaai and 10kms from Dyer Island, is one of them.The proposed site for Bantamsklip is situated within [...]
LEOPARD SEAL SIGHTINGJuly 22, 2010 by dyertrustUpdate 22 July 2010- "It has been a week now since the leopard seal was found at Die Dam. We have not seen it since and we have not had any phone calls reporting a sighting, but rumuor is that the local fishermen have seen it close to their boats. So hopefully it is feeding [...]
DICT PLACES NESTS ON ICHABOE ISLAND IN NAMIBIAJuly 21, 2010 by dyertrustIchaboe (pronounced Itcha-boo) Island lies off the coast of Namibia, 50kms north from Luderitz, the closest inhabited town.Lawrence Green is his book At Daybreak over the Isles published in 1950, said of Ichaboe I had never dreamt of bird life in such profusion until I saw Ichaboe. This is one [...]
THE GREAT PENGUIN RESCUEJuly 20, 2010 by dyertrustDyan deNapoli, fondly known asThe Penguin Lady assisted in the largest oil spill in South Africa in 2000, that of the Treasure.This month sees the 10th anniversary of this oil spillquite profound considering the current BP oil crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 38,000 penguins were affected, either directly or moved out [...]