Our love and passion for the oceans drives our desire to conserve the underwater environment so that future generations can experience the same wonder that we have discovered.
An intense curiosity for understanding the inner workings of our ecosystem has led us down a path of academia. We study our oceans to better understand how to conserve them.
Above all else, we are driven by excitement and thrill. There is no better way to stimulate passion than to fill our days with adventure.
Cape RADD is a marine field station that serves as a platform for researchers in the False Bay area of Cape Town. Cape RADD is dedicated to advancing marine science education, promoting conservation, and fostering a deep connection between people and the ocean. Our mission is to provide hands-on marine field experience and citizen science experiences, equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to protect and preserve our marine ecosystems. Through research, education, and adventure, we strive to better understand the underwater world and share our passion for the ocean, ensuring its wonders are safeguarded for future generations. Find out more about our story!
Our work contributes towards the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Jessie has always been a wildlife lover and manages the social media platforms for Cape RADD. She is also a budding photographer, freediver and hiker, and is on hand for student needs - ready to assist with trips, travel and anything else you might need whilst on the field course with us.
Mark is a commercial SCUBA diver and marine scientist, currently working on a Masters degree focused on the complex relationships between marine parasites and their hosts. He has experience in animal health, microscopy and marine diseases, with a particular interest in sharks. Mark prefers to be in the water, and also volunteers at the Two Oceans Aquarium as a diver.
Dani says one of the best parts of being in the ocean is that you will always see something new. This is one classroom you can never be bored in. She loves seeing peoples' eyes light up when showing them things they have only been able to see on TV or in textbooks!
Dr Sam Manning is a dedicated conservationist with a diverse career in wildlife and ecological research. Holding a PhD in Wildlife Conservation from Imperial College London, her work has encompassed community-based conservation projects in Madagascar and managing telemetry studies on Amur tigers and leopards in the Russian Far East. Her extensive field experience includes conducting ecological surveys in the Peruvian Amazon and training local researchers, with a strong focus on empowering communities to protect biodiversity. More recently, Sam has integrated her passion for conservation into education as a biology teacher, with the hope of inspiring future environmental stewards.
"I had never actually been out in the field doing field research. I had done stuff in labs and in classes, but I never had hands on experience, so I saw the Cape RADD field course as a perfect opportunity not only to dive but to actually learn how to take data in the field, learn how to ID animals. It turned out to be all of that and so much more... We got to dive a variety of environments, reef to kelp forests to urchin barrens...
It was so amazing because every day I got in the water, I just knew that was what I wanted to do, I just got happier everyday that I went diving..."
“I found out about this course through my advisor and I am so happy that I did because I really enjoyed it...
I got to hone in on my SCUBA diving skills and I got to learn a lot about researching in the field...”
"I wanted to come to Cape RADD to gain more experience in marine sampling techniques, and to discover new ecosystems that I didn’t know anything about and improve my diving skills. I think its mission accomplished for it all.
I would advise anyone to come to Cape RADD.”
Cow sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) were once frequently spotted in the waters around Millers Point. Between the inner and outer kelp forests in a clearing, infamously called ‘Shark Alley’. Divers would be surrounded by up to Read more…
Rabies in Cape fur seals is now a confirmed and alarming development along the South African coastline. False Bay, home to both Cape fur seals and Cape Research and Diver Development (Cape RADD), has long been Read more…
Just like human fingerprints, no two shy sharks have the same pattern of spots and stripes! We use these unique markings to identify individuals in our Snorkel for Science adventure. Trying to match a shy Read more…
In today’s competitive job market, young scientists face the challenge of standing out among the crowd of so many university qualified candidates. Many Universities offer marine biology or other related biological sciences now, but often Read more…
The Cape RADD are a team of dedicated marine biologists and conservationists who bring a wealth of expertise, a shared commitment to marine conservation and a lot of fun to the Marine biology field course. Read more…
This past weekend (22nd February 2025), the False Bay Community gathered at Dalebrook beach for a special Mission Blue event – a day of connection, storytelling, and immersive experiences with the ocean. This event brought Read more…
117 St. George's St.
Simon's Town, Cape Town
South Africa, 7995
+27 79 734 4884
