Shark Spotters

The rolling clouds over Kogel Bay mountains with our spotter cozied up in his puffer jacket paint a near perfect wintery scene! ❄️

The amazing 🔥 picture of our Caves spotter Sandile taken by Forrest Beaumont 📸

The International Ocean Institute – Southern Africa (IOI-SA) is pleased to announce that applications are now open for the 2026 Ocean Governance Training Programme.

This annual 4-week course will run from 31 August to 25 September 2026 and will be delivered in a hybrid format:

Week 1: Online learning sessions
Weeks 2–4: In-person training at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa

This programme offers a unique opportunity to engage with key ocean governance concepts, connect with practitioners from across the region, and build capacity for sustainable ocean management.

For more information:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fn4Kx258bLkiglCRUjZD2UMLh9bguQR5/view?usp=drive_link
IOI-SA Website:
http://ioisa.org/2026-ioi-sa-ocean-governance-training-programme-applications-are-open/

To apply:
Complete the online application form by Friday, 15 May 2026:
https://forms.gle/vukhfo73PDxXc6DcA
Please note the course registration fee of 60 USD
No late applications will be considered.

📅 Save the date and don’t miss the opportunity to join the 2026 cohort!

𝗡𝗢 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗨𝗧𝗬 ⚠️⛈️

There will be NO SPOTTERS ON DUTY at any of our operating beaches today due to the storm.

Normal duties will resume once conditions are safe enough.

Remember, NO FLAG = NO SPOTTERS ON DUTY

For any queries contact 078 174 4244.

For emergencies contact 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.

The City wants to alert the public that puffer fish have washed ashore at Fish Hoek beach, Clovelly, and Danger beach today. This is a normal phenomenon with the large swell conditions that are currently being experienced along our coastline.

We advise the public to please keep their dogs on a leash, and not to allow their pets to come into contact with the fish, or consume the fish, or any other marine animals. Please remain cautious at all times as the fish could wash out at any time, at any given location.

The public can report sightings by sending an email to [email protected]

REPORTING WASHED-UP PUFFER FISH 🐡

We’ve received several reports of washed-up puffer fish along the coastline (thank you everyone who has updated us!) and we wanted to keep the general public in the loop as our team moves between areas while they also carry out their daily duties.

Therefore, we will share updates both on Facebook and our WhatsApp Community (join using this 🔗: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HwVkwnNkCMO6WChgy95xLD?mode=gi_t )

These fish can pose a risk to pets, so please stay alert when walking on the beach.

LAST REPORTED SIGHTINGS:

📌 Muizenberg beach
📌 Fish Hoek beach
📌 Noordhoek beach
📌 Strand beach

While our team may have already collected some of the fish in these areas, new ones can always wash up at any time, so ongoing caution is important.

If you come across a washed-up puffer fish, please let us know at [email protected]

Fish Hoek shark exclusion barrier deployed. Retrieval due at 5pm.

𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗣 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗔𝗡, 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗧.🦈

In partnership with Waves for Change, whose surf therapy programme introduces young learners to the ocean as a space for growth, healing, and development, Shark Spotters engaged with the Grade 4 learners from iThemba Primary School Capricorn to build the foundation for a safer and more meaningful connection to the ocean ahead of their surf therapy journey.

Through interactive activities, learners explored how everything in the ocean is connected, from tiny organisms to apex predators like sharks 🦈. Through hands on experiences like the Web of Life, they began to understand what happens when this balance is disrupted, and how human actions, especially pollution, can impact entire ecosystems. 🌍

The programme unpacked the importance of sharks in maintaining healthy oceans, the threats they face, and how protecting them is directly linked to the health of the ocean and the wellbeing of people. At the same time, learners gained practical ocean and shark safety knowledge, including how to read the Shark Spotters flag system 🚩 and make safer decisions in the water.

A key focus was connecting land to sea, helping learners understand how rivers, waste, and everyday choices flow directly into the ocean, shaping the environments they will soon be entering. ♻️🌊

This is more than education, it is about building confidence, safety, and a sense of belonging in ocean spaces. By linking ocean literacy with access through surf therapy, the programme supports a generation that not only uses the ocean but understands and protects it.

🤝 We acknowledge the Waves for Change team, and extend our appreciation to Tony, Zakes, and Haley, along with their donors, for making programmes like this possible and for supporting access to meaningful ocean experiences for young learners.

📚 We also acknowledge the teachers and staff at iThemba Primary School for their support in creating an enabling learning environment for the learners.

The City wants to alert the public that puffer fish have washed ashore at Muizenberg beach and at Camps Bay today. This is a normal phenomenon with the large swell conditions that are currently being experienced along our coastline.

We advise the public to please keep their dogs on a leash, and not to allow their pets to come into contact with the fish, or consume the fish, or any other marine animals. Please remain cautious at all times as the fish could wash out at any time, at any given location.

The public can report sightings by sending an email to [email protected]