Meet Starboard, the audacious orca with a unique hunting strategy for defeating great white sharks. This solohunting technique, observed off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, is a gamechanger in our understanding of orca behavior. However, the exit of apex predators like sharks could cause a ripple effect throughout the ecosystem. The arrival of the solohunting orca ushers in an exciting new era in the annals of marine life.
Buffel is a southern elephant seal who visits Cape Town’s beaches every year to shed his skin. Despite usually living in the Southern Ocean, Buffel has an unusual fondness for Cape Town’s beaches and his annual visits serve as a reminder of the important role elephant seals play in marine ecosystems. They act as apex predators, regulating the population of prey species and contributing significantly to nutrient cycling. Buffel is also an indicator species, providing valuable data about the health of our oceans and the threats they face, and serves as a reminder of our responsibility to protect threatened species and maintain the delicate balance of our ecosystems.
The False Bay shoreline is currently lit up by a mesmerizing natural display known as bioluminescence. This spectacle is caused by the rapid growth of nontoxic algae, encouraged by tranquil and warm ocean conditions. The algae bloom not only enhances the visual charm of the coastline but also helps maintain equilibrium within the marine ecosystem by producing oxygen and consuming carbon dioxide. This harmless phenomenon is a testament to the enduring and diverse natural magnificence of the Earth.
A team of marine researchers from Stellenbosch University and the Sea Change Project are exploring South Africa’s Great African Seaforest, an underwater kelp forest that spans nearly 1,000 kilometers of the country’s shores. They aim to understand the kelp forest ecosystem and its biodiversity through two principal projects: investigating the invertebrate biodiversity of kelp holdfasts and cataloging entire marine communities using environmental DNA. The partnership promises to reveal the numerous mysteries of the Great African Seaforest, bringing together diverse expertise to broaden the understanding of these kelp forests and their significance to humanity.
A recent video posted on Drone Fanatics SA’s Facebook page showcased a stunning natural display of a violent encounter between two orcas and a great white shark near Mossel Bay’s Seal Island, off the Southern Cape coast. This incident is believed to be the first recorded eyewitness account of such a battle captured from a boat, without the use of a drone.
