Addo Tourism

There are two trails in the Zuurberg section of the Addo Elephant National Park.

The Cycad Trail is 2.4km long and takes about an hour. If it’s a longer, moderate hike you’re looking for, then the 12km Doringnek Trail via Otto’s Pool is the one for you. The trail takes about 5 hours and includes some truly beautiful scenery.

Zuurberg Hiking Trail fees are charged as per Conservation/Entry Fees.

Photos by Theo Fourie

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Standing gracefully across the Sundays River between Colchester and Cannonville, the Mackay Bridge is one of the Eastern Cape’s most iconic historic river crossings. Although no longer open to vehicles, the bridge remains a favourite destination for walkers, photographers, birdwatchers and visitors looking to soak up the tranquil beauty of the Sundays River estuary.

Before a bridge existed, travellers making the journey between Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha) and Grahamstown (now Makhanda) relied on a ferry, or pont, to cross the river. This crossing became a vital link on one of the Cape Colony’s busiest transport routes during the mid-1800s. However, repeated flooding proved disastrous, washing away the original ferry in 1874 and its replacement the following year, highlighting the urgent need for a permanent crossing.

After years of planning, the first Mackay Bridge was officially opened on 5 March 1895. It was named in honour of John Mackay, whose determination and advocacy were instrumental in securing its construction. The elegant steel and iron bridge was manufactured in Sheffield, England, before being shipped to South Africa and assembled across the Sundays River.

Nature, however, had other plans. Severe flooding during 1931–1932 badly damaged the bridge, necessitating its replacement. The present Mackay Bridge was completed at a cost of £25,000 and officially opened on 5 July 1938. For decades it served as the main road bridge across the Sundays River, carrying thousands of travellers heading between Gqeberha and the eastern parts of the province.

The construction of the nearby N2 bridge eventually took over this role, allowing the historic Mackay Bridge to retire from motor traffic. Today it is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists, offering uninterrupted views across the broad estuary, surrounding wetlands and distant sand dunes.

The bridge has become one of the best places in the area to enjoy spectacular sunsets over the Sundays River. Its peaceful surroundings also attract a rich variety of birdlife, making it a popular stop for birdwatchers, while photographers are drawn by its graceful steel structure framed against the ever-changing colours of the sky.

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There are over 800 species of dung beetle in Southern Africa. The Flightless Dung Beetle (Circellium bacchu) is a very rare subspecy only found in the Addo Elephant Park and surrounding reserve.

The flightless dung beetle is regarded as one of the largest species of dung beetles in the world. They can roll up to 50 times their own weight!

As opposed to wings, flightless dung beetles have a tightly sealed elytra (wing case), which creates a convective cooling system where heat is drawn away from their body. Thus, they are perfectly suited to hot regions.

They feed on elephant, rhino and buffalo excrement. The dung serves many purposes for these beetles, which include a source of nourishment, an ideal den for breeding, and a gift to lure in a female for some male species.

When they roll their dung along the ground, the movement helps to aerate the soil and fertilize the ground by spreading animal matter like compost.

According to recent studies in South Africa, dung beetles use the Milky Way to navigate their way at night and move in a line to reflect it. Astonishingly, they are the first known species to do this in the entire animal kingdom.

Source – Shamwari Private Game Reserve

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This little cannon stands in the Anchor Garden in Cape St Francis, but has a close affiliation to the Sundays River Valley.

This 18-pound smooth-bore cannon once stood, with another almost identical gun, at the drift over the Sundays River near Colchester, close to where the present road bridge crosses the river. This area became known as Cannonville, due to the presence of the two guns. The second gun is preserved at the Pearson farm on the Eastern heights overlooking the river.

The history of how these guns came to this position is lost. For many years, they were lying abandoned in the bushes close to the old drift. The guns, which date from about 1820, are what is known as a “civil” gun, as it would have belonged to a private owner as opposed to the military. One of the theories put forward is that they were placed there to fire a salute in honour of Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Alfred, when he visited the Eastern Cape. His party crossed the river in August 1860 on its way to Grahamstown. It was recorded that he spent the night at the well-known hostelry at Cappers on the opposite bank. The pontoon used by the Royal party was “tastefully decorated for the occasion with evergreens”, but no record of a salute has been found.

One of the guns was purchased by the late Scott Pearson and taken to his farm on the hill to the east, where it was mounted on a gun carriage looking down on the river. The other cannon was left lying in Edward Billet’s yard at his house in Cannonville. It remained in a neglected state until renovated by Bob Cheetham, who bought it and took it to his home in Summerstrand in Port Elizabeth.

There are a number of other possibilities as to its early history. It could have been mounted on some remote outpost or farm during one of the Frontier Wars. At one stage, the settlement in Algoa Bay was under threat from Xhosa warriors, and the guns could have formed part of the defensive measures placed at strategic points. This crossing was an important part of the Eastern Cape’s commercial trade with Algoa Bay. During any one of the Frontier Wars, the river crossing was the obvious place to set up a defensive Military Position.

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Mark Marshall of Sandula Conservation has put together three posters identifying the different snakes that occur within Algoa Bay. The Sundays River Valley falls inland from Algoa Bay and all of these snakes occur within our region.

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Jack’s Picnic Site is a beautifully tucked-away, well-equipped picnic and braai area within Addo Elephant National Park’s game area. It lies off the southern access road of the Park, within a 500-hectare botanical reserve. It combines the comfort of sheltered picnic tables and braai spots with the thrill of being immersed in a true African bush environment. Whether you’re just stopping for a snack mid-game drive or planning a leisurely braai lunch surrounded by nature, it’s a standout choice.

Location & Setting

• Jack’s Picnic Site is situated within the main game-area of Addo (in the so-called botanical reserve zone) in a fenced, designated picnic-and-braai area.

• It lies off the southern access road of the Park, within a 500-hectare botanical reserve created to monitor the impact of large herbivores (especially elephants) on subtropical thicket vegetation.
• Because it is inside the game area, you’ll be immersed in bush surroundings—so even a simple picnic becomes a nature experience.

Facilities & What to Expect

• The site offers sheltered picnic tables (with roofs) and individual semi-private braai (barbecue) spots tucked among the bush.
  Ablution (toilet) facilities are available.
• Since you’re in a National Park and within a wildlife zone, there are rules to follow: you drive into the enclosure, park in the designated spots; you’re not meant to roam freely outside that area because of wildlife risk.
• No waste bins are provided in some cases — visitors are requested to take their litter with them.
  The Curious Journal

Why It’s Special

• It’s a unique “bush-picnic” spot: you’re not just beside a lawn or park – you are within the habitat that elephants and other large animals inhabit. From the site you may even sense the presence of wild animals nearby.
• The sheltered braai spots give you more comfort (shelter, tables) compared with very basic bush picnic sites elsewhere.
• The botanical reserve setting means you are surrounded by unique vegetation (subtropical thicket) and within a protected research zone, which adds interest beyond simply eating outdoors.

Tips for Visiting

• Bring your own picnic basket and braai wood/charcoal if you plan to barbecue — the site has the infrastructure but you supply the food & fuel.

• Arrive somewhat early – especially during holiday periods when the picnic site is popular.

• Do not leave your car outside of designated area; keep safety in mind as you are in wildlife terrain. As noted: “It is also a good idea to pack a snack bag with water … be very cautious.”

• Respect the “no-bin” policy (if applicable) – carry out everything you carry in.
• Check gate/opening times of the Park and the picnic site in advance – managing your time is important.
• Given wildlife around, keep noise moderate, supervise kids, and follow Park rules (e.g., regarding getting out of the vehicle only in allowed places).
• Bring insect repellent, sun protection—while you’re sheltered, the bush environment has its elements.
• If you want both a wildlife outing and a picnic in nature, this site offers the best of both worlds.

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In South Africa, we have so much to offer. With ample wildlife, exquisite birds and natural endowments by the hundreds, it’s no wonder why we’re considered one of the best countries to visit.

While on safari, many tourists pursue what is known as the Big Five, which is a collection of large animals. They include the elephant, rhinoceros, lion, Cape buffalo, and leopard. But did you know that here in the Eastern Cape we also have the Smaller Five? This group of fauna includes the elephant shrew, ant lion, buffalo weaver, rhinoceros beetle, and leopard tortoise.

The Elephant Shrew

Also referred to as Elephantulus myurus. This tiny and adorable mammal gets its name from its extended snout. They live in dry plains, rocky ridges and savannah grasslands and only grow to a length of 25cm, with an average weight of 60g. They feed on insects, fruit, seeds and nuts, and are, in turn, food for snakes and raptors, making them tremendously timid and wary.

They live in monogamous pairs for life but are not at all sociable. This means, the chances of spotting them are slim, so if you manage to see an elephant shrew before you catch a glimpse of an actual elephant, you can consider your safari a real success.

The Ant Lion

This insect is scientifically known as Myrmeleontidae or doodlebug, which is the larval form of the lacewing fly and is an odd creature of the bush. When hunting, it burrows in dry, soft sand with which to trap its prey and as ants and other insects scurry by the pit, they tumble in, sliding down the steep walls, making it difficult for them to get out. The waiting ant lion sometimes speeds up the prey’s demise by tossing sand at it, causing a little landslide.

When this species becomes an adult Their bodies are bulbous and hairy, and their flat heads sit on elongated necks and feature a pair of sickle-shaped mandibles. Some of them eat pollen and nectar, while others are predators of small arthropods such as ants. This interesting insect resembles a dragonfly, although it’s not well-adapted for flight.

The Buffalo Weaver

Buffalo weavers are also known as Bubarlornis niger and are noisy, social birds that build their nests in open colonies in the split branches of tall trees. These weavers’ nests can be recognised by their rather bedraggled state, made from coarse grasses with untidy twig structures. This member of the Little Five has a height of 23cm and weighs around 80g.

The buffalo weaver is black with either a red or white bill (the white-headed variety is found in other parts of Africa). This bird forages for food on the ground and eats insects such as butterflies, bees, wasps, locusts, and ants.

The Rhinoceros Beetle

Also known as the Scarabaeidae dynastinae, the Rhinoceros Beetle is one of the largest beetles in South Africa and is identified by the impressive horn on its head. Both males and females are horned, but only the males are known for antagonistic behaviour and are much more aggressive than mammal rhinos as they use their horns to fight opponents but also to dig, climb and mate. All rhinoceros beetles are herbivorous as the adults feed on fruit, nectar, and sap, while the larvae eat decaying plant matter.

Prone to weight lifting to 850 times their body weight, they are harmless to humans as they can neither sting nor bite. They’re also nocturnal, avoiding their predators during the day, hiding under logs or in amongst vegetation; when confronted they hiss and squeak by rubbing their abdomens against their wing covers.

The Leopard Tortoise

This creature’s scientific name is Geochelone pardalis, but the leopard tortoise gets its name from its black and yellow spotted shell and has a life expectancy of 80 to 100 years. This animal is one of the largest breeds of tortoise in this part of the world as a mature leopard tortoise can weigh over 23kg, with a shell circumference of up to 1m.

The males are larger than the females and when fighting for supremacy, the males turn one another over.

A close-up view of the Leopard Tortoise in motion
Younger tortoises have dark brown patterns, while adult shells take on shades of yellow with slightly smaller spots. Despite having shells on their backs, when it rains they’ll stay in abandoned fox, jackal or anteater burrows, otherwise they can be found in the savannah grasslands.

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Did you know that Algoa Bay is a Whale Heritage Area? South Africa is the only country in the world with three Whale Heritage Areas, with the Bluff in Durban and Plettenberg Bay being the other two.

When it comes to biodiversity, Algoa Bay is arguably one of the most outstanding marine environments. During the winter months, the warm shallow waters of its unique half-heart-shaped bay provide ideal conditions for Southern right whales to mate and have their calves.

Later in the year, the bay also serves as a nursery for humpback whale calves before they make the long journey back south to their feeding grounds.

Bryde’s and minke whales are in the bay all year, feeding on sardines and anchovies that are rounded up by long-beaked common dolphins or African penguins.

Algoa Bay is home to the largest colony of African penguins in the world. The foraging activities of these wonderful birds provide feeding opportunities for dolphins and whales all year round.

In 2016, Algoa Bay was named the ‘Bottlenose Dolphin Capital of the World’ for having the largest pods and most frequent sightings. It is not uncommon to come across a pod of over six hundred Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Algoa Bay and, in the shallower areas of the bay, there are also frequent sightings of rare Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, often with new-born calves, which suggests that this species is calving here. Common dolphins can be seen in the bay literally in their hundreds, if not thousands.

@Raggy Charters

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Did you know that a fossil of the Nqwebasaurus was discovered near Kirkwood?

Nqwebasaurus thwazi is the first Xhosa-named dinosaur. It was a turkey-sized coelursaurian theropod from the Early Cretaceous period (159 – 132 million years ago). A lightly built fast-running predator with hollow bones and a large brain, it swallowed small stones to help grind food in its stomach, much like the gizzards of modern birds. Its name means “fast running messenger lizard from Nqweba”.

Currently it is the oldest coelurosaur in Africa and shows that basal coelurosaurian dinosaurs inhabited Gondwana 50 million years earlier than previously thought. This is the oldest known dinosaur from the family that includes T.Rex to be found on one of the continents that once made up Gondwana. This little hunter, who probably ate bugs and lizards, was the great grandfather of many larger predators.

Nqwebasaurus is considered to have been a small to medium-sized coelurosaur. The type specimen is approximately 30 cm high and is estimated to have been 90 cm long.

Nqwebasaurus was first discovered by William J. de Klerk and Callum Ross in July 1996 during a joint expedition led by the Albany Museum in Grahamstown and Stony Brook in New York, United States, where Callum Ross was affiliated at the time. The fossil is remarkably complete and is considered an extremely rare find as no coelurosaur fossils had previously been found in Africa at this time. No new Nqwebasaurus fossils have been discovered since. It means Kirky, as it is known, is the only fossil representing its species and it is currently not possible to compare the fossil with another member of its species.

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The Addo Elephant National Park was established 94 years ago to protect the last 11 elephants in the Eastern Cape region. Since then, the reserve has expanded to 155,000 hectares and today it’s home to lions, leopards, rhino, buffalo and more than 600 elephants. It also has 16 rivers and 437 wetlands.

Freshwater scientists Nancy Job and Dirk Roux were part of a team that co-authored the South African National Parks and South African National Biodiversity Institute’s first-ever inventory of the park’s rivers and wetlands. With an inventory in place, the park is better placed to conserve wetlands for South Africa and plan for the future.

A wetland is a piece of land that is flooded with salt or fresh water most of the time. Addo’s wetlands include wetlands in low-lying hollows which collect water between coastal dunes, springs hidden within forested kloofs and depression wetlands (shallow, bowl-like ponds that hold water for only a few months in the year) inside areas of thick, bushy vegetation.

Read more about Addo’s wetlands, why they are important and the plans to conserve them.

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If you have ever wondered where Donkrag Dam in the Addo Elephant National Park got its name from, scoot closer and listen up.

The Domkrag Dam is named after a giant 45-year-old 60kg mountain tortoise which once roamed the park. “Domkrag” is the Afrikaans word for a “jack” (the thing you lift cars with), and this tortoise had a peculiar habit of walking underneath cars and trying to lift them up with enormous strength.

Domkrag came to a sad end when he fell into an aardvark hole and couldn’t get himself out. His shell is still on display in the Interpretive Centre.

– Mountain or Leopard Tortoise – The genus name Stigmochelys is a combination of the Greek words stigma meaning ‘marked’ and chelone meaning ‘tortoise’. The specific epithet pardalis is derived from the Greek word pardos meaning ‘spotted’, after the spotted shell.

This tortoise is the largest tortoise species in Southern Africa and is a grazing species that favours semiarid, thorny to grassland habitats. In both very hot and very cold weather, it may dwell in abandoned fox, jackal, or aardvark burrows. The leopard tortoise does not dig other than to make nests in which to lay eggs. Given its propensity for grassland habitats, it grazes extensively upon mixed grasses. It also favours succulents and thistles.

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What is a “Dagga boy” and where does the term come from?

‘Dagga boys’ is a term used to describe old and usually solitary buffalo bulls who have been forced out of the herd by young virile bulls, or have fallen behind the herd due to their need for softer vegetation. But it’s wise not to be fooled by their condition. These monoliths are known for putting up a great fight when spooked, injured or trapped, even chasing down potential danger, like lions, by themselves. They were also known to kill hunters in the old hunting days and were notoriously hard to take down, hence their inclusion in the ‘Big Five’ (along with elephant, lion, leopard, and rhino).

These males have adopted the nickname of ‘dagga boys’, which mainly refers to the thick black clay that coats their skin; ‘dagga’ being another word for mud

They tend to move from one wallow to the next, preferring these swampy areas as they not only guarantee fresh, soft grass for their worn teeth to feed on, but also a constant supply of oozy slush in which they can loll. It is believed the reason for the love of these mud baths is that the sludgy silt actually acts as a barrier between the sun’s harsh rays and the older buffalo’s hairless rumps.

filolisadileo – This old “duggaboy” was alone on the Arizona road area in a small mud pond

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Did you know that the Addo Elephant National Park has both Brown Hyena and Spotted Hyena?

@sanparks

The brown hyena (Parahyaena brunnea), also called the strandwolf, is the only extant species in the genus Parahyaena. It is currently the rarest species of hyena. Brown hyenas are distinguished from other species by their long shaggy dark brown coat, pointed ears, and short tail. They are generally scavengers, eating mammal remains, fruit, insects, and reptiles.

@luke_wildlifephotographysa

Brown hyenas, while historically present, were eradicated in the early 1900s but around 2008 were been sighted again, especially in the Colchester (southern) area of the park.

The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta. The spotted hyena is a highly successful animal, being the most common large carnivore in Africa. Its success is due in part to its adaptability and opportunism; it is primarily a hunter but may also scavenge, with the capacity to eat and digest skin, bone and other animal waste.

@lulainafrica

@pete_leyland

Spotted hyenas were reintroduced to the park in 2003 and 2004 after an absence of over 100 years.

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Addo Elephant National Park is the third-largest national park in South Africa. It’s not only home to the traditional Big Five (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard) but the Big 7, which includes the Southern right whale and Great white shark in its marine environment.

In 1931, the park was started with only 2500 hectares of land. Today the Greater Addo National Park covers 180,000 hectares of land and a 120,000 hectare marine protected area (MPA). The park stretches from Darlington Dam in the Karoo in the north, across to the Zuurberg Mountains in the south, through the game viewing area and down to the coast at the Sundays River Mouth. From here, it stretches along the coast through the Alexandria Dune Fields and Woody Cape to Cannon Rocks with another small section near the Bushmans River Mouth.

The MPA extends 80 km eastward from the Coega harbour in Algoa Bay and includes the estuary of the Sundays River. The St. Croix and Bird Island groups fall within the MPA. The MPA includes the seabed and the water above it.

The map is to show the size of the Greater Addo Elephant National Park and where all the areas are, but may be slightly out of date.

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St. Croix Island is the largest of the three islands on the western side of Algoa Bay. It is located within 8 kilometres of the Port of Nqgura and 4km from the nearest land. The islands are of critical importance to sea bird populations, including the endangered African penguin.

The island covers about 12 ha (30 acres) and is only 58 m above sea level at the highest point. It runs 700 m at its longest and 360 m at its broadest.

Bartholomeu Diaz was the first European to sail into Algoa Bay in 1488 on his quest to find the new sea route to the east. They landed on an island which they named Ilheu da Cruz, today known as St Croix. Here they celebrated Mass and erected a wooden cross. A replica of the cross was erected in 1988 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of his voyage. The two smaller islets near St. Croix were named Jahleel and Brenton after the British Vice Admiral at the Cape who was stationed there from 1815 until 1821.

Ever since the arrival of the 1820 British Settlers the natural resources of the bay and islands have been ruthlessly exploited. Prior to the settlers, ships from various nations supplemented their rations with eggs and birds from the islands.

In 1891, a Canadian Brig sailed into the bay with a load of passengers, some of whom had the dreaded smallpox disease. They were quarantined on St Croix for three months and hence its alternative name of Hospital Island.

St Croix falls within the Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area (MPA). It used to be home to the biggest population of African Penguins in the world. The population’s modern history peaked in 1993, when 63,000 penguins lived there. Today there is an estimate of 1,350 breeding pairs left.

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One of the saddest chapters in the history of the Addo elephants involved Major Pretorius’ big hunt of 1919/20.

After nearly 200 years of being hunted for their ivory, there were only about 140 elephants left in the Addo region by the early 1900s. Growth in agriculture in the region led to conflict with elephants as they damaged crops and competed with farmers’ needs for water.

Local farmers put pressure on the government to exterminate the Addo elephants and on 25 November 1919 the Cape Provincial Administration entered into a contractual agreement with the noted big-game hunter and celebrated war hero, Major P J Pretorius, to cull the herd. Major Pretorius set up his camp in Kinkelbos and used various methods while hunting. This included wearing a full leather outfit and taking a ladder along on his hunt to see over the thick Addo bush.

Pretorius and his .475 cordite Express Rifle shot 114 elephants between 1919 and 1920. His activities generated publicity and sympathy for the elephants, prompting the halt of the killing when only 16 Addo Elephants remained.

This then led to the creation of the Addo Elephant National Park in 1931.

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One of the places you’re most likely to find elephants when visiting Addo Elephant National Park is Hapoor Dam. Now you may be wondering who is Hapoor and what the dam has got to do with the magnificent elephant head mounted in the park’s Interpretive Centre.

Hapoor was a legend in the park and Addo’s dominant bull for 24 years. ‘Hap’ means ‘nick’ or ‘hole’ in Afrikaans, while ‘oor’ means ‘ear’ and it is believed the distinctive nick in his ear was caused by a hunter’s bullet. Hapoor retained a deep hatred of humans throughout his life. On more than one occasion park staff were forced to flee to safety when Hapoor made his appearance.

His dominance stretched from 1944 to 1968. During the latter part of the 1960’s a few younger bulls reached maturity and challenged Hapoor. These upstarts were unsuccessful until one bull named Lanky finally deposed Hapoor in 1968.

Hapoor was driven from the heard and became a loner. Later that year he succeeded in climbing the park’s ‘Armstrong Fence’, which for nearly 20 years had been elephant-proof. His freedom was to be short lived as due to his aggressive nature, it was determined he would have to be shot.

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During the late 1990s the Addo Elephant National Park Honorary Rangers has a project where they compiled “Filed Notes” for Elephants, Buffalo, Flightless Dung Beetle, Meerkat and Black Rhino. These field notes were available to visitors and while most just took it out of interest, there were one or two who filed them away as keepsakes. One of those people is Jonker Fourie of Firefly the Travel Guy who just started working as a tourist guide back then.. He recently dug them up and scanned them for us to post on our social media channels and share them with you here on the Addo Tourism website.

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Most South Africans have read, or at least heard, of the book Jock of the Bushveld. The book was written by Sir Percy FitzPatrick, (24 July 1862 – 24 January 1931) who in his younger years was involved in gold and diamond prospecting in Mpumalanga where Jock of the Bushveld also plays off. He also had involvement in the Anglo Boer War and politics. Not many may realise though that the Sundays River Valley has very strong links to Sir Percy. He actually played a big role in the early development of the Valley.

After coming to the Sundays River Valley he established the Sundays River Settlement Company which encouraged people to settle in this area. He also played a very big role in the establishment of the citrus industry in the valley and the amazing irrigation system of this area was his brainchild.

FitzPatrick bought a piece of land next to the river from where his guests could enjoy the stunning view of the surrounding valley. He even had a lookout platform built on the land where visitors can still go to marvel at the view today.

After his death, Sir Percy was buried at The Lookout where his wife is buried alongside him.

Sir James Percy FitzPatrick
Born: 24 July 1862, Qonce (King Williams Town)
Died: 24 January 1931 (age 68 years), Kariega (Uitenhage)

His children are also all buried on the site.

The Lookout and the surrounding land were donated as a public space by his daughter and son-in-law in 1953 and the site was declared a National Monument. A lot of the locals have fond memories of spending time up at the Lookout, or Percy’s Place as they call it, in their younger years.

Source – Originally posted by Firefly the Travel Guy

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By Ronelle Friend | Algoa Bay Conservation via Raggy Charters

It is with much delight that we received news that the African penguin breeding pairs on St Croix Island in Algoa Bay is on the increase. Last year they reached rock-bottom, with only 700 pairs left. This year the colony has grown to 1200 pairs, this is fantastic news!

The main reason for this increase in the penguin colony is that Ship-to-Ship (STS) bunkering has been prohibited since September 2023. This was due to financial issues where the tax man was wanting his fair share of the oil transfers that are taken place in the bay. It seems that an impasse occurred between SARS and the operators, to such an extend that the taxman impounded some of the bunkering vessels, and prohibited any further STS transfers.

We had a long and hard battle for more than 5 years against this extremely hazardous fuel transferring operation occurring, on the open sea, in our bay. In this time we have seen the world’s largest colony of African penguins plummeting, losing 85% of the colony. This was a catastrophic ecological disaster, caused by the selfish and possibly unlawful STS bunkering operations.

Not only has the numerous oil spills influenced the marine environment, it also led to oiled penguins that had to be rescued. Many did not make it. Furthermore, the visiting vessels moved across the foraging area of the penguins, negatively influencing their feeding habits, and causing pollution, emissions, noise and contaminated water discharges.

From the beginning we have voiced our utmost resistance to the bunkering vessels in the bay, transferring oil close to the marine protected area and St Croix Island. We organized public meetings, submitted concern letters and reports to the ministers and operators, obtained legal opinion, used printed, television, radio and social media, all while protesting the inconceivable deed by government to permit this hazardous operation. We did not stop and used every opportunity to address this injustice done to our bay, tenaciously fighting to protect our penguins.

In the end, in 2022, Minister Barbara Creecy (then minister of DEFF) had to agree with us, and ordered a risk assessment to be done. The results of the assessment put specific restriction to the STS bunkering operations. Possibly the restrictions, together with the financial mess that they found themselves in, were too much for the bunkering fraternity. The operators vanished overnight- leaving the bay to recover from the damage caused by them.

And recover it did.. to our delight!

Now, after less than a year, the colony has grown by 70%! This is an indication of just how huge and absolute devastating impact STS bunkering had on the penguin population for so long. As soon as bunkering was gone, the population bounced back and flourished. We are holding our breath, hoping that this trend will continue year-on-year.

We would like to thank each and every one who helped us in various ways on the path to protect our penguins. From being in despair, we are now cautiously optimistic for the future of the penguins in Algoa Bay.

Who knows, maybe one day we will again be able to claim the accolade for the largest colony of African penguins in the world!

I hope that day will come soon.

Ronelle Friend Algoa Bay Conservation

Read more on GroundUp.org.za

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