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It is said that Coffee Bay got its name when a ship carrying coffee beans ran aground in the vicinity. Apparently this was in 1893. It is also rumoured that some of the stranded coffee beans took root and grew into small coffee shrubs but failed to mature owing to the salt content in the soil. All of this is a great pity because there’s nothing I like more than a great cup of coffee to start my morning. And today, I needed that coffee. Sometime during the previous night the weather Gods had turned the tables on us and blew up a stormy, grumpy and wave-filled sea. White horses stretched to the horizon and interestingly shaped waves crashed onto the launch beach.

With more than a little anticipation in our hearts and lumps in our throats we launched into the waves and headed out to sea. Leaving the shelter of the bay we headed south for a few kilometres to get some photographs of the famous and iconic Hole-in-the-Wall. The afternoon sun had settled behind the structure the previous day, which made for dull and uninteresting photography. So, our mission this morning was to photograph the Hole from the seaward side.

This was the last time the cameras saw any light as the swells and rough sea had us all holding on to pontoons, foot straps and tank-racks as our intrepid Kamikaze Kaiser skipper navigated his way to Port St Johns.We weren’t the only ones having a hard time though. Gannets, Skua’s and Petrels flapped aimlessly against the wind and eventually settled to float in the swelling and moving sea. We forced the Kaiser to stop for lunch and dined on cheese and tomato sandwiches while bobbing in between swells. Although the ride to Port St Johns was rough it was exciting and a good reminder of how lucky we had been with the weather the previous days. The other good thing about this ride was that it meant the last day of dining on cheese and tomato sandwiches; a regular lunchtime fare.

Port St Johns was a welcome sight and it took very little motivation for our crew to load the boat onto its trailer and ensconce ourselves in our hotel for the night. Well, if only for an hour or two … just before sunset we raced to the Port St Johns airport (airfield) to catch the sunset and quaff a few celebratory beers before heading out to dinner at the famous Delicious Monster restaurant.

We’d travelled some 600 or more kilometres by sea from Port Elizabeth to Port St Johns. Along the way we were privileged to share the sea with:

• Bottlenose Dolphin;
• Common Dolphin;
• Brydes Whales;
• Southern Right Whales;
• Humpback Whales;
• Cape Gannet;
• Skua;
• African Penguin; and
• one cargo ship.

We’d planned this trip on a whim and in order to explore the marine diversity of the Eastern Cape and Transkei coast and we were not disappointed. The marine diversity is staggering and the off-shore encounters legendary. The people we met along the way were friendly and welcoming and there is no doubt in our minds that we South Africans must do everything in our power to protect, preserve and treasure the oceans that run along our coastlines and sustain us.

Download the October issue of African Diver for the full report and more images.

After the welcome break on shore for a day, we were more than ready to get back on the water. It was another glorious day with little wind and mild swells. We knew we were in for a great day as we’d seen several Humpback Whales breaching in the distance. Today’s route was to take us from Mazeppa Bay to Coffee Bay, a distance of some 76 kilometres by sea.

But first we had to navigate the launch from Mazeppa Bay. Our Skipper, the Kamikazi Kaiser, safely launched us through the Mazeppa surf but not without having to punch a growler that threatened to upend us and all our expensive photographic equipment.

Somewhat relieved and pumped full of adrenaline we set out to look for Humpback Whales. As usual we first came across a pod of Bottlenose Dolphin working the inshore waves and as usual, their curiosity got the better of them and they rushed out to investigate our boat.

Further along, we came across a herd of cows cruising the beach … as seems to happen on this magnificent coastline. The coastline was enthralling. Rolling hills that plunged down to pristine beaches interchanged with craggy rock formations that stood valiantly against a sea that slowly eroded all in its path.

Our team was completely taken by the topography and landscape and we almost missed a mother Humpback Whale escorting her calf. The little calf must have been newly born as it was still very grey and very small in comparison to its mother. Full of the joy’s of spring it lob- tailled often and kept its mother busy keeping it on the journey north.

Mindful of her duty to her calf we left them in peace and headed out to sea to where a cargo ship was slowly cruising northwards.

We followed the cargo ship for a while until distracted by a leaping, breaching Humpback. This Humpback breached at least 12 times when we were close enough to it and it didn’t seem to mind our presence. After several breaches it was joined by two other Humpbacks and all three dived for what seemed like ages. Finally our breacher surfaced and the other two went on their way as did our breaching whale. Was it some kind of whale caucus meeting? Who knows, but we were ecstatic to be witness to it all.

Written by Coordination marée noire

Rescue workers in Madagascar were battling to save a group of humpback whales beached on the southern tip of the island, where a fuel spill from a Turkish freighter threatens an ecological disaster, local media reported Thursday. The MS GULSER ANA, bound for India with a cargo of 39,000 tonnes of phosphates, had to be abandoned by its 23-strong crew on August 26 a few kilometres off Cape Sainte Marie on the vast Indian Ocean island.

Environmentalists and vets are trying to save a number of beached whales, whose blowholes had become blocked with diesel and oil and were close to death.

The cause of the accident to the 189-metre long, 30-metre-wide ship is still unclear. But a statement from Prime Minister’s Monja Roindefo’s office on Thursday said the ship’s cargo comprised far great quantities of diesel and oil than initially thought.

This protected part of Madagascar’s coast is famous for its rich coral reefs, rare species of tortoise and the migrating humpback whales that pass by at this time of year en route to their breeding grounds off Reunion Island.

Fish have also been washing up dead on beaches in the area, which is home to around 2,000 people living in four villages who rely on fishing for an income. The government has announced the suspension of all fishing in the area.

Some 800 people, including nine foreign experts in marine pollution with specialist equipment, have been sent to the remote area to treat the oil slick and clean up the beaches. The prime minister and four of his ministers have also travelled to the remote area by plane from the capital Antananarivo.

The government of the impoverished island has threatened to sue the ship’s owners over the spill.

The ship was reportedly on a blacklist of ships banned from European Union harbours.

Clean-up operations following the grounding of a Turkish-flagged vessel off the coast of Madagascar have started and damage to the environment should be limited, the ship’s operator said in a statement received by AFP Saturday.

The MV Gulser Ana grounded off Faux Cap, on the southernmost tip of the Indian Ocean island, on August 26, damaging its bunker tanks and releasing fuel oil in the sea, the Mardeniz Denizcilik company said.

“The owners, … pollution clean-up experts, are carrying out beach cleaning operations to remove any bunker oil residues arising from the initial escape,” the statement said.

“Anti-pollution experts are working with local residents who are receiving training, equipment and payment in order to assist with this task and we would like to thank them for their hard work and efforts,” it added.

The operator said the ship’s cargo of 40,000 tonnes rock phosphate — a kind of fertiliser — did not pose a threat to the environment.

“Sea currents are carrying any fuel oil to the east and away from the Cap Sainte Marie Marine Reserve and the coral reef, which should avoid any long or medium term environmental damage to the area,” it said.

The operator obviously is not only ignorant but also lying in the public statements, saying: “Over-flights of the area have not shown any evidence of whales or other sea mammals in the area having been in any way affected.”

The operator added that the ship’s 23 crew had been rescued by the Madagascar coast guard and were ashore.

The island relies heavily on tourism and is home to two percent of the globe’s total biodiversity. The majority of its animal and plant species are found nowhere else on Earth.

Rescuers battle to save whales - sapa
Rescue workers in Madagascar were battling to save a number of humpback whales that have beached on the southern tip of the island, where a fuel spill from a Turkish freighter has caused extensive pollution, local media reported on Thursday.

The MS Gulser Ana, which was bound for India with a cargo of 39 000 tonnes of phosphates, has leaked several hundred cubic metres of diesel and oil, as well as its cargo, since running into trouble on August 26 a few kilometres off the vast Indian Ocean island. The ship has since completely sunk.

The 23-member crew was rescued unharmed from the 189-metre-long ship, from which smoke was seen billowing at the time of the rescue. The cause of the incident is still unclear.

Several kilometres of the coastline, famous for its rich coral reefs, rare species of tortoise and the migrating humpback whales that pass by at this time of year en route to their breeding grounds off Reunion Island, have been polluted by the spillage.

Close to death
L’Express reported that veterinarians were trying to save a number of beached whales, whose blowholes had become blocked with diesel and oil and were close to death.

Fish have also been washing up dead along the coast.

The ship was reportedly on a blacklist of ships banned from European Union harbours.

Some 800 people, including nine foreign experts in marine pollution with specialist equipment, have been sent to treat the oil slick and clean up the beaches.

The government of the impoverished island, where fishing and tourism are key employers, has threatened to sue the ship’s owners over the spill.
Regional analysts presume foul play to be at the core of the tragedy, since the owner wanted to get rid of the vessel anyway and some believe its straight insurance fraud.

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