general

Octopuses

The octopus (Greek Októpus meaning eight foot) is a cephalopod mollusk that belongs to the order Octopoda. This animal has 4 pairs of arms, 2 eyes, a beak within a mouth at the center of the arms, and has no internal or external skeleton (though some retain a remnant of a shell within the mantle). READ MORE

Boxfish

While walking the stretch of beach between Robberg Peninsula and Beacon Island I came across several dried out boxfish which spurred me to read up about this group of fish. Boxfish range in size from 15 – 46 cm and are generally solitary fish which spend their time on rocky and coral reefs, and grass READ MORE

Redbait

A well-known sight along the beaches, in inter-tidal rocky pools, and in the hands of fishermen is redbait Pyura stolonifera. Although recognized on sight, many people may not know very much about this common animal. Redbait is a sea squirt which lives in intertidal rocky shores and subtidally down to 10 m deep. Sea squirts READ MORE

Plastic pollution

The invention of plastics revolutionized the world. Plastics are durable, cheap, lightweight, and strong, and as such, the uses and applications of plastics are endless. As plastic production and use expands, so the plastic items found polluting the environment increase. With an increase in plastics in the marine environment, species are more likely to interact READ MORE

General facts about southern right whales

Globally there are 3 different species of right whale; the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica), North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis). These three species look similar, but are divided into 3 separate species because they are geographically and genetically isolated from each other. The first part of READ MORE

General facts on humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Humpback whales are baleen (filter feeder) whales and belong to the Balaenoptera family. They are probably the most easily recognisable and familiar of all the large whale species in the world. Their scientific name Megaptera novaeangliae is derived from the Greek words “mega” meaning large and “pteron” meaning wing (referring to their long pectoral flippers READ MORE

Killer whales (Orcinus orca) – General information

Killer whales, also referred to as Orca’s, from a shortened version of their scientific name Orcinus orca, are one of the world’s most well recognised cetaceans. This is largely due to the exposure they received from the ‘Free Willy’ films and the demand for them in captivity for performances. Unfortunately, none of these situations portray READ MORE