Our survey results between January 2018 and October 2019 showed that snagged fishing tackle from recreational fishing does pose a Ghost Fishing threat to inshore reef fish.
Every year, between April and late November, Humpback and Southern Right Whales migrate from Antarctica for breeding to the Garden Route. Humpback Whales migrate further north to the Mozambican Channel, while the Southern Right Whales remain along the Southern Cape coastline to give birth and mate. During the months that they spend in the breeding grounds, they do not feed, relying totally on their fat reserves for energy and to suckle their calves.
Southern Right Whales
Humpback Whales
Kogia Species
Two species of Kogia occur in the Garden Route, namely Kogia breviceps and Kogia sima, Pygmy and Dwarf Sperm Whales respectively.
Most sightings are of stranded and washed up specimens. As data deficient species, most of the information that we have of these two species is collected from necropsies performed by marine scientists.
In South Africa, between 10 and 20 Kogia spp specimens strand or wash up annually, with most strandings and wash ups occurring between Mossel Bay and Wilderness.
Dolphins
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins
Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins
Cape Fur Seal
Vagrant Seal Species
Vagrant Sub Antarctic seal species occasionally occur in the Garden Route and Southern Elephant Seal, Sub-Antarctic Fur Seal and Antarctic Fur Seals have been recorded in the region.
Southern Elephant Seal
Occasional Southern Elephant Seals haul ashore to moult. They undergo a catastrophic moult which is the shedding of their fur and epidermis. While moulting, they rest onshore for between four and six weeks before returning to sea.
Males can weight up to 3500Kg, while females are a mere 700Kg. While most of the Southern Elephant Seals haul up onto a remote section of shoreline, every now and then one will frequent a busy tourist area. In April and May, a young male Southern Elephant Seal hauled up at Victoria Bay for six days before heading back to sea. In the second week of May he hauled up at the Knysna Waterfront, hanging around for 6 days. Due to a damaged left eye, he is affectionately called Colombo after an 80's TV character of that name who was blind in one eye.
