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DICT HOLDS INTERACTIVE PRESENTATIONS IN HONOUR OF WORLD OCEANS DAYJune 08, 2010 by dyertrustWORLD OCEANS DAY 8 June 2010OCEAN EDUCATIONIn honour of World Oceans Day, we held interactive presentations at Laerskool Gansbaai.Marine biologists,Michelle Wciseland Katja Vinding-Petersen, led a fun and interactive educational experience about the valuable part in the ecosystem that the ocean plays.The children learnt two new termsbiotic (living creatures) [...]

A FIRST FOR AFRICA AND MARINE MAMMALS BENEFITJune 07, 2010 by dyertrustWhales, dolphins, seals and dugongs were on the agenda at the1st African Marine Mammal Colloquium (AMMC)held in Gansbaai (18-21 May, 2010). Jointly hosted by the Mammal Research Institute (MRI) of the University of Pretoria and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) at the Great White House in Kleinbaai.Participants hailed from [...]

1ST AFRICAN MARINE MAMMAL COLLOQUIUMJune 06, 2010 by dyertrustMarine mammal research in southern Africa is experiencing an exciting renaissance. There has been a striking increase in the number of research groups, students and projects starting up in the region in the last few years. Collaboration is a key factor in most modern research, allowing small teams with small budgets to generate [...]

STRANDED DOLPHIN TAKEN TO IZIKO MUSEUM IN CAPE TOWNJune 05, 2010 by dyertrustOn April 29, 2010, DICT founderWilfred Chivellwas informed of a stranded dolphin. The dolphin was anIndo-Pacific Humpback dolphin(Sousa chinensis), which is a species commonly found in the waters of Gansbaai, but is in fact a rare animal in the rest of world's oceans. Humpback dolphins are named so after [...]

EXPERT SHARK PARASITOLOGIST VISITS DYER ISLAND CONSERVATION TRUST / MARINE DYNAMICSJune 04, 2010 by dyertrustWorld renowned shark parasitologist, Professor Susan Dippenaar, from theUniversity of Limpopowas invited to visit Dyer Island Conservation Trust /Marine Dynamicsto advise our researcherHennie Ottoon his study of parasites on the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Prof. Dippenaar specialises in siphonostomatoids, a tongue-twisting name for a small part [...]

FIRST STUDY OF SHARK WOUND HEALINGJune 03, 2010 by dyertrustFirst study of shark wound healingVisit our video footageUnique research by the Trusts marine biologists was featured at the recent International White Shark Symposium in Honolulu, Hawaii attended by more than 100 leading researches from all over the world.Marine biologist, Alison Towner is among the first researchers to study the ability for [...]

Research team gain new scientific deviceMay 19, 2010 by dyertrustThe last few weeks have seen the beginning of an exciting new phase of research in Klein Bay which that will help us to understand the behaviour of the great white sharks here for the first time. Things are coming together nicely with new equipment, discounts, donations and team spirit! Research Team [...]

ROGUE HELICOPTER CAUSES HAVOC TO MARINE LIFE AT MERCURY ISLANDApril 29, 2010 by dyertrustA blue, foreign-registered helicopter bearing the identification 5YBXE attempted to land on Mercury Island last Thursday (22 April 2010) along the southern coast of Namibia, and in the process destroyed hundreds of nests of our most endangered seabirds.Following this manoeuvre, the helicopter landed on the beach across the [...]

LUCKY BABY LOGGERHEAD TURTLE SAVED AFTER DRIFTING THOUSANDS OF KILOMETRESApril 28, 2010 by dyertrustMarine biologistshave rescued a baby loggerhead turtle which was driven thousands of kilometers from its home in the warm waters of Mozambique around the tip of Africa and into the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.Weighing only a couple of grams and measuring less than 6 centimeters, it [...]

DRAMATIC WHALE RESCUE VIDEOApril 24, 2010 by dyertrustDICT helps save an entangled whale....we now have the video loaded onto U-tube for you to view (Footage supplied by Fasttrax Marine).Click here to view.Wilfred Chivell of the local disentanglement unit was called on Saturday 27 Juneby Jason Stafford of Ivanhoe Safaris in Gansbaai,to inform him of anentangled whale in Walker Bay close to [...]