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Sharks in Peril

A couple of months ago, a visiting veterinarian arrived at our shop early one morning in distress. She had been for a run on the beach and was shocked to find the butchered remains of a smooth hound shark. The head was connected to the tail by a thin strip of skin along the dorsal READ MORE

Unusual coloration in Cetaceans.

When identifying a species one of the most commonly used characteristics is their colouration. To have unusual skin fur or feather colouration is rare in both humans and animals and can lead to misidentification. Skin, fur and feather colouration is produced by several different pigments, the main one being melanin, and when this is partially READ MORE

Orcas in South Africa.

Our last post was about orcas, how they live and hunt around the world (see our homepage). When orcas are seen close to the coastline in South Africa it’s always great news, for most it is a novelty to see these animals. The distribution of orcas within the southern African region is widespread, occurring both READ MORE

Bottlenose dolphins in Plettenberg Bay.

Over the past weekend, we have enjoyed frequent sightings of a large pod of approximately 200 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins. Our encounters with the dolphins have been both in the surf zone where dolphins spend about 75% of their lives and out in the bay, into which they venture to feed on bait-fish and squid. The READ MORE

Oil spills in South Africa.

“What is an oil Spill?” An oil spill is a release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activities and is a form of pollution. Oil spills normally refer to the marine environment when oil is released from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells. “What effect do oil spills have?” READ MORE