30 March – 3 April 2026 (During School Holidays) EDIT: This course has completed; the next marine school holiday program will be from the 28th of September to the 3rd October 2026. Are you always looking for holiday activities that do more than just “fill the time”. How about something Read more
As part of the Marine Science Field Course, you get to be a part of multiple of Cape RADD’s research projects. Despite not being able to scuba dive, I was able to contribute to most of these research projects. One in particular I grew quite fond of. The project aims Read more
When I joined Cape RADD for my field course with the University of Reading, I expected a unique and amazing trip. What I didn’t anticipate was just how much I would learn in 16 days, or how much I would love every second of it. Between gaining my SSI scuba 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 shark by its spots is like playing an underwater game of “Where’s Wally?” (or “Where’s Read more
I am stuck in the kelp. A few meters ahead of me, marine biologist Mike Barron strides effortlessly through the thick fronds and onto the rocky shore, patiently waiting and encouraging me as I make my way toward him with far less grace. Belly surfing through kelp was definitely not Read more
Cape RADD are compiling footage from our field days out in the ocean of some of the beautiful and under appreciated species of elasmobranch found here in South Africa. The idea behind this series of videos is to raise some more awareness of the lesser known and under researched species Read more
Examining the patterns of interactions between individuals in both single-species and mixed-species shoals, particularly in relation to group cohesion, polarisation, and information use, and how these differ with risk. In collaboration with Alicia Burns, Behavioural biologist at Taronga Conservation Society Australia and researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia, Cape Read more
Great white sharks are one of the oceans most notorious shark species, a top apex predator with one of the most remarkable and eye-catching predatory hunting behaviors documented in the natural world, the Polaris breach. White sharks have often split the publics opinions, filling some people with inquisitive questions Read more
A Citizen Scientist’s Place in Marine Conservation What is Citizen Science? Citizen Science is a relatively new phenomenon whereby ‘non-specialists’ e.g. the general public can get involved with collecting and analysing data on various topics and species alongside scientists. “projects in which volunteers partner with scientists to answer real-world questions “ Read more
Shark Senses With an evolutionary period of over 400 million years, sharks are finely tuned to their environment. Sharks have a total of seven senses to interpret changes in their environment. These senses are: auditory perception (sound), tactician (touch), gustatory perception (taste), vision (sight), olfaction (taste), water movement detection (lateral Read more