AfricanDiver.com

On Saturday morning (2 Jan) about 7km north of Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park two whale sharks, one 5m and the other 6.5m, were found having beached themselves. One had no signs of any injuries but the second had a lump on its head and an old wound on its caudal fin.

This has been seen as a natural occurrence according to iSimangaliso park CEO Andrew Zaloumis, he stated that along the park shores 10 whale sharks a year are found beached.

“While there is much speculation as to why whale sharks beach themselves, the actual reason is not known,” he said.
Even though Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife marine staff and holidaymakers tried to move the whales back into the water they sadly couldn’t and both the whale sharks died.

Last week a whale shark measuring 6.5m also beached itself just north of Leven Point in iSimangaliso.

Zaloumis said the beached animals were measured, photographs were taken and the dorsal fins were removed and sent to the KZN Sharks Board for its monitoring and research programmes.

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iSimangaliso boasts riches beyond measure in its protected estuary and ocean, and anglers are often amazed at what they pull out of the waters. This “monster” brindle bass was caught in the shallow St Lucia estuary by Mtubatuba resident, Innes Minnie, who fought for almost 2 hours to bring it in. Before being release it was measured at 1.7m and probably weighed around 100kg

Out at sea, other magnificent giants include a familiar whale shark spotted by diver Sam Bester at Sodwana Bay.
On 18 December 2008 after a spectacular dive on Stringer reef we were visited by an eight metre male whale shark on the surface at Stringer.

When I saw the visible scarring on the left gill area, I knew immediately that this was an animal encountered and photographed twice before in Sodwana Bay. The first recorded sighting was on 8th January 2006 followed by a repeat sighting on 4th January 2008.

“This whale shark is the seventh individual identified and re-sighted at Sodwana Bay in the last 24 months,” said Sam.

A further excitement recorded by Sam was a repeat sighting of a Loggerhead turtle released by uShaka Marine World on 12 May 2008. “Bob” had spent in excess of 15 years in captivity at Seaworld in Durban, and then subsequently at uShaka.

Bob was transported from uShaka with a hands-on team of scientists and staff to Sodwana by vehicle. Once in Sodwana he was tagged, medicated with antibiotics and measured before being loaded on to the boat and taken to sea. He was successfully released at Anton’s reef on southern 2 mile and was monitored before being left to enjoy his freedom.

On the 28th December 2008, Sam Bester - who was part of the Release Team - had the privilege of a visit from Bob on Wayne’s World, at northern 2 mile.

South Africa’s newest dive attractions - two artificial reefs - have been established near Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This places South Africa’s first World Heritage Site in the company of Australia’s Woongarra Marine National Park which boasts the Cochrane Artificial Reef.

Says Andrew Zaloumis Park CEO, “The iSimangaliso Authority seized the opportunity to turn what was a disaster into a tourism and marine research possibility for South Africa’s first World Heritage Site.The two rugby-field-size dumb barges, named DAR1 and DAR2, scuttled late last year just south of Cape Vidal are already attracting plentiful marine life in their new role as artificial reefs.”

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