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August was a very exciting and busy month for me. I managed to complete three sea trips and saw lots of albatrosses and petrels. One of these trips was unique and I had some unusual experiences! The first experience was rescuing a white-chinned petrel one evening that crash-landed onto the deck when...
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I have worked as a fisheries observer since January 2008, while finishing my studies towards a diploma in Oceanography. I recently joined the Albatross Task Force as one of their instructors and am very excited as I love seabirds and love working at sea. Meaning this job is perfect! I’m also really...
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I have just returned from a very exciting and fun-filled few days in Sedgefield and Mossel Bay. For those of you not from South Africa, these towns are located along our east coast, and apparently Mossel Bay has the second best climate in the world! My colleague and I took a comfortable 5-hour drive...
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I've just got married and as soon as my honeymoon was over, I headed off to sea – back to the stinky boats! This trip was on a commercial trawler. This vessel was the first vessel I have seen that has stopped routinely discarding fish waste during the setting of the trawl gear, which prevents...
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Hi everyone, It has been a very busy winter here in Cape Town with lots of rain and cold weather, but summer is coming, along with some changes. We have moved to a new office close to the harbour - a major upgrade, and it makes life so much easier when the boats are round the corner. Thanks to Cape Bird...
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I have been up to some exciting adventures. Let's start with my second sea trip out on a trawlers fishing for hake. This vessel was slightly smaller than the last one I went on, so the rocking motion from the swell was even more exaggerated! Needless to say I was seasick on this trip! The first day...
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During the later half of June it was off to sea again on the Irvin & Johnson wet-fish trawler, the Stevia. Once again I was looking at making the tori lines (bird scaring lines) work their best to prevent seabird deaths. Naturally, winter is the season when seabirds are most abundant in our waters...
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Three weeks after coming back from South America (January entry) I packed my bags and flew to the east coast of South Africa where I was planned to go to sea on a swordfish longliner for a two week trip. The week before the trip I spent in one of the jewel spots of South Africa, Sodwana Bay, the only...
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My first day finally arrived with some anticipation but also with some excitement. This was the day I was to set sail onboard a commercial trawler for the first time. This was my training trip for my new job as an Instructor for the South African Albatross Task Force Team. After two trips to sea had...
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It seems ages ago now, but it was in April last year that Samantha Petersen and I sat down one evening to draft the proprosal to set up an Albatross Task Force (ATF) in Namibia. The death rate of seabirds in Namibian waters is unacceptable. Last year, a report, The Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem...
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In May-June 2007, 12 longline vessels from Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines received a permit to fish in South African waters, targeting mainly tuna and swordfish. According to the South African law, every one of these vessels must carry an observer at all times. These observers who were trained...
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I usually write a diary after a sea trip but this time I had a different kind of trip. I have just returned from South America where I spent seven weeks in one of the most exciting places I've ever seen. The original purpose of this trip was to attend the International Fishing Forum which was held...
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Last month we said goodbye to a special person, colleague, friend, albatross admirer, Samantha Petersen, who left the Albatross Task Force (ATF) after four years of managing BirdLife South Africa Marine Programme, most of the time being the only one on the team. On a personal note, Sam was the one who...
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I've just returned from a two and a half week trip onboard shark longliner. The shark longline fleet in South Africa is pretty small, only 3-4 vessels, which mainly fish for mako sharks. The gear set up of the vessel is slightly different but the fishing techniques are very similar to the swordfish...
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Hi albatross fans! It's been a long time since the last time I wrote. Too much 'dry land' business which confined me to my mother city. However, we had a visit from Ben Sullivan, manager of the Global Seabird Programme. It was really great to finally meet the guy who runs the show. Lots of...