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.”
There’s something profoundly transformative about wading into the crisp, invigorating embrace of cold ocean water, especially when surrounded by the towering canopies of a kelp forest. At Cape RADD, we invite you to experience this Read more
Some birthdays you spend with cake and candles, others you spend tracking apex predators across one of South Africa’s most dramatic marine landscapes. This year, I was lucky enough to experience the latter, and I Read more
“After living for nearly 100 years on this planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.” – Sir David Attenborough The ocean is the heart and Read more
In marine science, some discoveries unfold in the lab, others at sea. And some begin with a surprise email from an old colleague. In early 2024, I received such a message from Dr. Chelsea Black. Read more
In South Africa, crowds of tourists come to see one particular animal, hoping for a close-up glimpse. Everywhere you look, this animal is on t-shirts, restaurant signs, street crossings, and all kinds of souvenirs. Is Read more
Few marine creatures capture the imagination quite like nudibranchs. These vibrant, soft-bodied sea slugs are favourites among divers and underwater photographers, thanks to their stunning colours and bizarre forms. But in addition to being the Read more
117 St. George's St.
Simon's Town, Cape Town
South Africa, 7995
+27 79 734 4884
