Exploring the Frozen Ocean of Terra Australis Incognita
Marine Science in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean as part of the SCALExperiment Spring 2019 Expedition. My polar adventure while atlasing seabirds for BirdLife SA’s AS@S Project.
Dune Restoration vs Sand Stabilisation
The use of the term “Dune Restoration” in scenarios where restoration measures are questionable and restoration goals undefined, is misleading and incorrect. Analysing three case studies in the Cape Peninsula it becomes clear that “Dune Restoration” is a pipe dream under current conditions and the term is rather used as a guise for personal gain.
A Common Yet Swift Antarctic Sandwich
This article is the result of a request from one of the Long Beach locals to learn more about the life history and migration behaviour of the tern species frequenting South Africa’s extensive coastline.
Baptism of Ice: Birding on the SA Agulhas II to the Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone
I recently spent two weeks sailing the Good Hope Line aboard the SA Agulhas II with a team from BirdLife SA. We spent the time recording the seabird and mammal species encountered between Cape Town and the Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone.
Visitors from the Deep: The Tale of “Fish” and “Hoek”
The historic story describing my late grandfather’s extraordinary encounters with a pair of bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa, back in 1953.
Kingdom in the Clouds: Exploring Lesotho
My experiences, photographs and observations from my first visit to the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.
Evolution of Knowledge
I spent a number of days immersed in all things thought to be cutting edge for the late 1800s and was drawn to the writing style and imagination displayed by the authors. While I have barely scratched the surface in uncovering the treasures that these books contain, this is a small collection of thoughts shaped through the reading of some of the articles presented in the Ninth Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Penguins on Parade
The charismatic African Penguin is a species in freefall as a result of increased fishing pressures and shifts in the distribution of their prey species. Here in Cape Town, we have a number of breeding colonies on our doorstep and should be doing everything in our power to ensure the recovery and survival of this important coastal bird.
Exploring the Driving Forces Influencing the Evolutionary History of the Extant Latimeria Genus within the Coelacanth Taxon
Thought of as a “Living Fossil”, the Coelacanth has piqued the interest and captured the imaginations of fishermen, scientists and the general public alike. Throughout its history, forces have acted to mould this fish into the strange looking specimen that we encounter today… an appearance reminiscent of its ancient ancestors.
Bird Community Responses to Elephant-Induced Impacts on the Landscape
Patterns in Bird Community Responses to Elephant Impacts along a Transformation Gradient in the Sundays Thicket of the Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa.
Seeing is Believing
Dubbed the “Windows to the Soul”, the eyes of the animal kingdom vary greatly in not only colour, size and shape but also in strength and functionality.
Scientist in Limbo 