Enrico Gennari, Author at Oceans Research - Page 3 of 3
Oceans ResearchPosted by Enrico Gennari on May 15th, 2025
Beneath the ocean’s shimmering surface, a hidden crisis is spreading. Oxygen-starved waters where marine life suffocates—also known as dead zones—are transforming vibrant ecosystems into underwater graveyards. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 9th, 2025
The deep ocean contains delicate ecosystems that scientists currently understand the least. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 3rd, 2025
Present beneath serene ocean waters is a very cunning killer: noise pollution. Most people envision sea pollution in terms of plastics or chemical waste Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 8th, 2025
Oceans comprise over 70% of the earth's surface and play an essential role in the viability of life on our planet. They regulate weather, manufacture oxygen, and serve food to billions. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 16th, 2024
Marine conservationists are essential in ensuring the ocean remains healthy. Their effort embraces every marine ecosystem Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 22nd, 2024
Carbon sequestration is the capture and long-term storage of atmospheric CO₂. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 8th, 2024
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated regions of the ocean where human activities are restricted to safeguard vital ecosystems and preserve marine biodiversity. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 3rd, 2024
As human populations increase, food demands shoot up accordingly. Since immemorial, the biological systems and diversity of oceans, covering more than Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 29th, 2024
Human actions significantly impact the fragile harmony of marine systems, with overfishing being a prominent danger to ocean endurance. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 11th, 2024
Ocean pollution has severely affected marine life, and according to Condor Ferries, almost 1,000 species of marine animals are impacted by ocean pollution. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 27th, 2024
Climate change in marine life will profoundly affect our earth, with enormous effects on sea life. Oceans all around the globe are essential for Earth's weather stabilization—enormous storehouses of extra warmth and carbon dioxide taken in from the air above us. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 8th, 2024
Citizen science, defined as the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge, has emerged as a powerful tool for fostering inclusive engagement with science. Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on June 17th, 2023
Part 1 of our comprehensive guide to tidepooling in Mossel Bay Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on June 4th, 2023
Citizen scientists can actively participate in the field of marine biology in several ways: Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on May 19th, 2023
How to participate in orca conservation in Mossel Bay, South Africa Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on May 1st, 2023
Exploring the biology of parasitic isopod Ceratothoa springbok after observing one in the wild. Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on April 17th, 2023
A brief overview of how marine life is affected by plastic pollution. Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on March 31st, 2023
Get to know the helm of Oceans Research Institute through our fun and heartfelt Q&A session. Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on March 16th, 2023
Photographing dorsal fins of great white sharks helps contribute to population assessments. Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on February 28th, 2023
Explaining regional endothermy in Lamnidae sharks Read more...
Posted by Maria Geoly on February 11th, 2023
A simple guide for choosing a career path in marine biology Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 10th, 2022
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 11th, 2022
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 17th, 2022
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 14th, 2022
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 12th, 2022
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 24th, 2022
Posted by Max on January 3rd, 2022
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 16th, 2021
Posted by Max on September 20th, 2021
Sharks are not just one of the most charismatic top predators but are also an essential part of the marine ecosystem. In fact, sharks play a central role in maintaining a healthy sea ecosystem. Today let's take a closer look at sharks and their role in the marine environment. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2020
Following the recent Air Jaws: Ultimate Breach Off episode we were involved in for Shark Week 2020, we caught up with the leading lady, Alison Towner, to ask her a few questions about Shark Week and current issues facing researchers. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 24th, 2020
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 23rd, 2020
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 23rd, 2020
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 23rd, 2017
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 12th, 2020
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 12th, 2020
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 29th, 2019
How work-ready are you? Potential employers look at, besides your degree, your job-specific skills. The marine employment market is very competitive. To gain an advantage in this field, you will need to have clear employability traits, to show off to perspective employers, which can set you ahead of your peers. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 30th, 2019
These days, it is simply not enough to get your degree and think you will walk straight into a job after university. What recruiters really look at, is how employable you are. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 30th, 2019
Nakia Cullain heads up MAR (Marine Action Research), a small conservation organisation, which she founded in 2016, after taking over direction of the Zavora Marine Lab in Mozambique. For 10 years, the lab have been researching the movements and abundance of marine animals in the area, while working alongside the local community, to create awareness and protection of Zavora Bay. Their mission is to conserve the marine biodiversity of Southern Mozambique, and secure a sustainable future for local communities through research, diving, and ocean education. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 13th, 2019
In a paper Oceans Research contributed to, the conclusion shows worrying news for sharks. Industrialised fishing overlaps threatened shark hotspots worldwide... Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 13th, 2019
Observations presented in our research paper "Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus) adjust traversing behaviour with lunar conditions in the high white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) density waters of Mossel Bay, South Africa" suggest that white sharks may pose a bigger threat to Cape fur seals under the light of a full moon. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 12th, 2019
Electronic Shark Defense System (ESDS)TM did not hold up in tests carried out on our Oceans Research vessels. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 11th, 2019
Sophu Qoma was an intern with Oceans Research for most of last year, as part of her Diploma in Nature Conservation. She has now returned to us as an outreach officer, with big plans for community education projects. She’s also an ambassador with conservation campaign, Keep Fin Alive. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 11th, 2017
Lauren Peel has a BSc (Hons.) in Zoology from University of Western Australia. She is currently a PhD candidate in marine biology at University of Western Australia and project leader for The Manta Trust and Save Our Seas Foundation's Seychelles Manta Ray Project. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 12th, 2019
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 4th, 2019
Gibbs Kuguru is a molecular geneticist and his studies primarily focus on the population dynamics of smooth hammerhead sharks. Gibbs spent six years researching sharks with White Shark Africa, a white shark cage diving company in Mossel Bay, in tandem with Stellenbosch University. Our director of research, Dr Enrico Gennari, was one of the supervisors for his research. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 3rd, 2018
Our director of research, Dr Enrico Gennari, writes about the changes to white shark populations along the Western Cape, and the disappearance of the species in some of the white shark hotspots of South Africa. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 31st, 2018
Melissa Cristina Márquez is a marine biologist from Puerto Rico and Mexico, who studies sharks and other chondrichthyans. She is also a past Oceans Research intern. Melissa has always had an interest in misunderstood predators, and think that sharks are the most misunderstood. Currently in Sydney (Australia) and in-between MSc and PhD, she is looking at chondrichthyan (shark, skate, ray, and chimaera) depictions in folkore and myths. She is interested in how people form attitudes towards predators (land vs marine), whether or not the larger region's public opinion matches the local folklore/myth, and if that perception of these animals sways conservation initiatives. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 25th, 2018
Rebecca Walker, from the UK, is the Senior Marine Mammal Specialist for Natural England and has recently been conducting research in marine mammal disturbance. We were lucky to have Rebecca join us for a research trip, and took the opportunity to interview her about her career history. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 29th, 2018
We are lucky to meet some incredible and passionate people in our business. Swedish born Emma Casagrande is a photographer and conservationist with a passion for animals, the ocean and travel. We were lucky to get the chance to spend time with Emma, her husband Andy Brandy Casagrande and her kids recently and are very grateful that she took the time to do an interview for us. Here’s what Emma has to say… Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 18th, 2018
Read our interview with Nelson Mandela University marine conservation student, Erin Slattery. Erin spent a year with Oceans Research as an intern and field specialist, and here’s what she has to say about her experience… Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 14th, 2018
Oceans Research staff are trained to respond to marine mammal strandings... training that is extended to our interns. We also respond to marine mammal beachings to try to get an understanding of the cause of death. Recently, a whale washed up on a nearby beach, so we interviewed our Head Field Specialist, Sasha Dines, to find out more about what happened. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 19th, 2018
Oceans Research is honoured to be one of the few NGOs in the Compendium of South African Marine Research in the Western Indian Ocean. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 15th, 2017
Our interview with John D. Filmalter, post-doctoral fellow at South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. His work focuses on coastal movements of adult estuarine dependent fish species. In the interview you can read more about Dr Filmalter’s research into fisheries and effective management solutions for sustainability. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 20th, 2017
Read our recent research publication: Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) movement patterns along the South African coast Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 13th, 2017
Read our our recent publication following a study on the the influence of light and sound on shark behaviour. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 6th, 2017
Dr Laura Ryan is a shark sensory biologist from Australia, who focuses on vision in sharks, and more specifically how they perceive potential prey. She completed her PhD at the University of Western Australia and has begun her first postdoctoral position at Macquarie University. Laura recently worked with Oceans Research to collect data for her project, so we took the opportunity to interview her about her career. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 30th, 2017
Dr Nathan Hart is an expert in comparative neurobiology and specialises in animal sensory systems. He completed his PhD on colour vision in birds at the University of Bristol, UK, before moving Australia in 1999. He’s since worked on the visual systems of various animals, and more recently has been working with sharks. We interviewed him about his very interesting career history. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2017
High stress and large degree of physiology impairment linked to mortality. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 1st, 2016
Representatives from MARS (Marine Animal Rescue Society) traveled from Canada to deliver the very informative presentation and practical course. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 10th, 2016
Our director Enrico Gennari shares his experience on Mike Horn's vessel and the impact on him by the Young Explorers Program Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 26th, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 26th, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
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Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 30th, 2020
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
Posted by edna on August 21st, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 12th, 2020
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 22nd, 2016
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 24th, 2016
Two new Oceans Research publications on white sharks behaviour and shark deterrent Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 15th, 2016
Interview with Dr Ryan Kempster, University of Western Australia and Save Our Sharks NGO Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2016
Interview with Paul von Blerk, Project Specialist, Kwazulu-Natal Sharks Board Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2016
Interview with Andy Hinrichs, Senior Aquarist at the Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2016
Interview with Dr Paul Cowley, Principal Scientist, SAIAB (South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity). Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 6th, 2016
Interview with Scientist in Residence, Oceans Research, Dylan Irion MSc. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 18th, 2016
Feedback from past interns and current field specialists: find out what our past interns, current field specialists and post grads have to say about their experiences with us. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 27th, 2016
The workshop was held by Prof. Roland Langrock and PhD student Théo Michelot (Universities of Bielefeld, Sheffield, and St Andrews) in Mossel Bay, 7-9 March 2016. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 11th, 2016
Oceans Research hosted a workshop on the use of HMMs on animal movement analysis Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 29th, 2016
...studying the origins of modern humans Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 29th, 2016
talks from our Director of Research, Enrico Gennari and our Scientist in Residence, Dylan Irion Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 29th, 2016
you may download all the videos for free Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 27th, 2016
Congratulation to Bridget James for the published paper Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 27th, 2016
Dissection of a smooth-hound shark and its findings Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 27th, 2016
Catch, tag and release alive sevengill sharks (cowsharks) with accelerometer Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 8th, 2015
Oceans Research scientists presented at the 3rd SASRS Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 8th, 2015
Mauricio Cantor (Dalhousie University, Canada) provided a 5-day workshop on how to analyse animal social structures Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 7th, 2015
Our director Dr Enrico Gennari was interviewed by Africa Geographic on the problematic co-existence between white sharks and water users. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 14th, 2015
Oceans Research Director, Dr Enrico Gennari, together with other world-experts, presented at the 3rd International Conference on Fish Telemetry (ICFT), in Halifax, Canada, the past July. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 5th, 2014
Deciding which species “deserve” the most resources and attention in terms of conservation can be a contentious issue at the best of times. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 5th, 2014
Deciding which species “deserve” the most resources and attention in terms of conservation can be a contentious issue at the best of times. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 14th, 2014
Conservation is the responsibility of the state, but Africa is a poor continent, and as a consequence conservation in Africa has unique challenges, as Governments can’t fulfill the role of funding the conservation efforts. National parks and reserves have to find a way to get an income to support their conservation efforts. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 31st, 2014
Imagine a typical day in the life of a Wildlife Research Intern at Ocean’s Campus... Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 2nd, 2014
2nd annual 'Sharks International' conference held in Durban, South Africa Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 13th, 2014
Oceans Research has evolved and crawled out on land, and so we have started with land based research with one intern and five projects. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 29th, 2014
It was another exciting year in 2013 at Oceans Research for Project Great White Shark where research continues in the beautiful Mossel Bay. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 13th, 2014
The Shark Lab and Research Aquarium initially functioned as both a public aquarium and a unique research facility, offering South African and International students alike the opportunity to advance their academic careers. Most recently, this facility has realigned its focus and functions primarily as a research unit. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 2nd, 2014
The international exploitation of elasmobranch species (sharks and rays) has increased consistently over recent decades, mainly to satisfy the Asian market demand for shark fin. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 2nd, 2014
Sharks have traditionally been considered to be mindless killing machines, designed exclusively for hunting, but current scientific research is showing that these perfectly adapted cartilaginous fish are indeed intelligent and are capable of exhibiting problem-solving skills. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 28th, 2014
Over the past 3 years I have seen some amazing things take place in this lovely bay. Read more...
Posted by edna on March 4th, 2014
It has been six years now since Oceans Research was born. 2014 signs an important benchmark for our research organisation as we are expanding into terrestrial research. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 5th, 2014
The Mossel Bay Cetacean Project has been running since 2010 and has previously looked at movement patterns, human impacts and the impact of environmental factors. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 27th, 2013
An article about an issue of global importance - the act of Shark Finning. This not only threatens the species involved, but has overarching implications on the well-being of all marine life and ecosystems. And since our (humans) survival depends, to a very large extent, on the ocean – also a very real threat to us. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 9th, 2013
When we think of marine biology or zoology our minds more often than not wander to the large, charismatic animals – the white sharks, the humpback whales, the giant squids. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 18th, 2013
Human–shark interactions have become more and more common over the last 10 years due to an increase in human population, and a higher number of ocean users. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 31st, 2013
Animal movement is a very large and interesting topic. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 5th, 2013
As we move from the end of autumn towards the beginning of winter in South Africa, we are also drawing ever nearer to “breach season”. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 9th, 2013
In the United States on February 2nd every year, if a groundhog sees its shadow then there will be 30 more days of winter, if not then spring follows immediately. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 29th, 2013
The first thing I notice when picking up the Short Nose Spurdog Shark is the roughness of its skin. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 1st, 2013
For the past month, I have had the pleasure of sharing thoughts and experiences with a group of interns at the Oceans Research’s Campus spanning 10 countries around the world. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 1st, 2013
The “Shark Lab and Research Aquarium” could easily be marketed as “One of The Smallest Aquariums” in the world. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 8th, 2013
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re well versed in the fate of the modern shark. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 3rd, 2012
Even armchair animal enthusiasts have heard of bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales - but few people have heard of humpback dolphins. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 31st, 2012
After a short recess, the benthic catshark tag and release program is up and running again! Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 20th, 2012
Since November 2010 Oceans Research has been performing Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) scans focusing in the general vicinity of Seal Island. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 2nd, 2012
During my time as an intern at Oceans Research so far, I have been able to experience a whole range of exciting and challenging tasks associated with various marine animals and their environment. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 13th, 2012
The ocean is an amazingly beautiful and complicated place where creatures great and small have evolved amazing adaptations difficult to understand for Homo sapiens. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 1st, 2012
I had been interning at Oceans Research for five weeks the first time I saw a great white shark do a full breach. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 16th, 2011
We were driving in the back of a truck bed, six of us stuffed under blankets and sweatshirts, bundled up with our beanies and gloves, wind whipping our hair as we drove the winding mountain side watching the African sun set behind the snow capped mountains. “Is this a dream?” was all I could think. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 19th, 2011
Mossel Bay, 18 July, 2011 Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 12th, 2011
If I were given the opportunity to live through December 2010 again, I honestly do not know if I would have signed up for the Oceans Research Internship. It’s not that I dislike the experience – to the extreme contrary! Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 29th, 2011
After almost a month here at Oceans, I have learned that there is absolutely nothing about working with sharks that will ever get old. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 8th, 2011
So far I have only been here for six days and it has been an absolutely life changing experience for me. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 12th, 2011
After being accepted as an Oceans Research intern I was thrilled that I would have the opportunity to work with leading field experts in marine research and, more specifically, having the opportunity to work in close proximity with Great White sharks. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 25th, 2011
A couple of weeks ago an Italian film crew came to Mossel Bay to make a documentary on the research that Oceans does. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 1st, 2011
Some snippets from the January 2011 Interns Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 12th, 2011
Let's hear from some of our interns: Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 3rd, 2011
I never knew it was possible for one single experience to define your life until now. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 24th, 2010
On our day of arrival we were met by a friendly bunch of people of all different nationalities but with a common interest, the conservation and public awareness of marine life. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 26th, 2010
As with any research project, there are factors that cannot be controlled. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 11th, 2010
As we boarded Cheetah, we immediately fell into our “pre-chumming” routine. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 11th, 2010
The month of October started off with a lot of big changes, switching from 12 interns to 4 in the house. Things have quieted down a bit but there is still a lot of work being done. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 1st, 2010
The day started with an early morning wake up, quite tough on a Saturday but we were all keen to help out! Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 30th, 2010
September 25th was International Beach Clean-up Day. Meeting time was 8:00 AM, which apparently translates to 11:00 AM Mozambican time -- when the young kids from the local school finally arrived. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 30th, 2010
Pinocchio was the first shark that we tracked, so it was exciting to see where she went when she was not at Seal Island trying to steal our bait, whilst chumming. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 30th, 2010
Having been in Scottburgh for 3 weeks now, we have managed to get 13 dives in, 6 baited dives and 7 reef dives. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 23rd, 2010
For the first time in my career as a marine mammal biologist, I saw one of my study animals dead. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 23rd, 2010
Even though Zàvora isn't the place to see whale sharks – tourist haven Tofo a couple hours up the coast is – they do come sometimes. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 8th, 2010
As our ten-person car stuttered along the beautiful coastline of Mossel bay towards the Ocean’s Office & House, feelings of excitement and nervousness began to set in. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 5th, 2010
You wake up around 7AM from the sunshine beaming through your window and make the decision of whether you want to make breakfast or not. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 2nd, 2010
Although we enjoy greatly the aquatic fauna of Walvis Bay (Namibia), we were quite happy when Simon accepted to let us have 3 days off in a row, which allowed us to visit the one of the world’s greatest wildlife reserves: Etosha National Park, 20 000 sq km of inland protected habitats, around the Etosha Pan, a huge flat and saline desert that is transformed in a lagoon during the rainy season. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 27th, 2010
It’s been an active week at the aquarium. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 26th, 2010
It seems to be a season of many strandings. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 26th, 2010
Hello! My name is Caroline and I am currently an intern at the Namibia Dolphin Project. I arrived here on the 1st of July from the UK. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 23rd, 2010
Since the last time we blogged, the weather has greatly improved and we were able to go back to diving! Last Saturday and Wednesday, we did two “shark” dives. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 16th, 2010
Since arriving in Scottsburgh, we have gone on seven dives in about 10 days. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 30th, 2010
Last week (22-26 June) we tracked Pinocchio, a 2.3m female great white shark with two continuous tags providing us information on her swimming depth, water temperature at that depth and muscle temperature, every second. After a lot of cold nights and long days we managed to break the current record for continuous manual tracking of a great white. Our new record is 106 hours. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 29th, 2010
Not every moment spent at the Oceans research station in Mossel Bay can be devoted purely to the chumming and tracking of great white sharks. In order to fully understand the hunting and feeding behavior of these sharks, it is necessary to spend some time looking at the driving factor behind their actions; the seals (actually sea lions) of Seal Island. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 12th, 2010
Having arrived in Mossel Bay just a couple of days previously, Monday morning found our group of new interns chumming for white sharks just off Seal Island. Having been prepared to spend an hour or two waiting for our first glimpse of dorsal fin, we were almost unprepared when, within 10 minutes, the first shark appeared at our bait. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 19th, 2010
Last weekend, April 10th and 11th, the four interns got their first weekend off of the month. Jethro, Leisbeth, Rodney and I, Renae, decided to go for a road trip to Cango and the surrounding towns. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 12th, 2010
Working with Oceans here in Mossel Bay is an amazing experience. We are currently a group of four interns, Rodney, Rachel, Jethro and myself, Nick. I flew directly from my cold country to the warm and more attractive climate of South Africa. I have only been here for two weeks and I already made a lot of wonderful experiences. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 17th, 2010
The first two weeks of February have been a week of arrivals of departures of personnel. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 10th, 2009
The final week of November was also the final week for several of the interns. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 16th, 2009
Mossel Bay had turned into a ghost town with no sharks to be seen for about one month. The Oceans Research team were starting to get worried, with the occasional 2.5m passing through Grootbrak but no sign of shark activity at the island since September 29th; where have they gone?! Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 2nd, 2009
Slow week for sharks, but we are getting plenty of exercise in elasmobranch anatomy. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 9th, 2009
On October 1, 2009 a new, green lot of interns arrived at Mossel Bay eager to get to work. Wasting no time, the program leaders got us out on the boat and down to business, chumming for sharks around Seal Island. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 21st, 2009
During the beginning of the week two of us went at sea with Simon Elwen and Ryan Johnson, to make a whale survey offshore. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 20th, 2009
This story really begins 2 weeks ago with a crazy Italian man, a spear gun, 3 tags and one promiscuous shark.....tracking had begun! Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 24th, 2009
It is the beginning of my last weekend here... Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 14th, 2009
Here in Mossel Bay we have 80% more Science! Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 9th, 2009
There are a lot of things to discover and to learn when you arrive for an internship at Oceans. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 21st, 2009
The week began with an introduction to tracking from Oli for those of us who hadn't done it before. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 14th, 2009
Nights on seal survey are amazingly interesting (counting seals, creating bioluminescence, watching Enrico do charades, looking out for sharks, and wondering if the southern hemisphere is ever going to get its seasons right). Nights on seal survey are amazingly cold, too. And having people forget to bring sleeping bags certainly does not help. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 8th, 2009
“The National Weather Service in Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa has issued a gale warning for the entire coast of the Western Cape- Winds are expected to reach 70-80km/h and waves are expected to reach over 15m. Ocean going vessels, especially small craft are urged to seek immediate safe harbour.” Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 25th, 2009
“Port Control, Port Control, coming from Cheetah, over!” Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 29th, 2009
Our adventure of tracking Alek in Mossel Bay, like everything in doing research, had its ups and downs and in the last 3 days we have fully experienced it. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 26th, 2009
We change over at 9 am and surprise surprise... Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 26th, 2009
During the 1-9am shift (which is pretty brutal hours on the sleep but very exciting none the less!) Alek the Great White headed back to the Island after we took over from Ryan and his team and went about its sharky business swimming in circuits round and round, possibly on the look out for lone seals. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 26th, 2009
Alek decided to leave Seal Island as soon as we took over the shift. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 25th, 2009
Five interns went chumming in the morning with Oceans director Enrico with the intention of tagging a white shark to track it at least for the next 48 hours. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 14th, 2009
The beginning of each new month is always a busy and exciting time at Oceans, the beginning of May has been no exception. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 6th, 2009
As summer draws to an end and winter sets in, we believe big sharks to be coming into the area. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 19th, 2009
With the new year comes new projects and goals for the Oceans team. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 11th, 2009
This week was a week of excitement and change here at Oceans. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 25th, 2009
This past week afforded the Oceans interns a very special opportunity to get experience researching marine life other than Great Whites. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 24th, 2009
The new year got off to a fabulous start at Oceans Research (previously known as SAMPLA). Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on January 2nd, 2009
As exciting as it is to wake up every morning to the familiar smell of frozen fish, hurl blood and fish guts by the bucket load on a nearly daily basis, and occasionally be rewarded by a lucky glimpse of a out-of-water breaching white shark or attempted seal predation, It is the passion and dedication of the team of SAMPLA directors, that is a joy to watch and an honour to work alongside with. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 11th, 2008
Local school children were captivated by The Oceans team the past couple of weeks when we invited them to educational talk hosted by Oceans Education in conjunction with Sharklife, at the Diaz Museum in Mossel Bay. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 29th, 2008
As a 3-monther, SAMPLA has not only become my home, it has become a way of life. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 25th, 2008
SAMPLA crew were still feeling the flip side of exciting research this week. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 16th, 2008
It was a slow week at SAMPLA. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 12th, 2008
This new week started quite slowly for SAMPLA interns with a day-off in order to rest from the previous weekend spent at sea with a filmmaking crew. Tuesday was dedicated to chumming and monitoring Great White Sharks in Mossel Bay. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 4th, 2008
The main focuses this week were the arrivals of new interns and sorting out a new home for our adopted green turtle, now nicknamed Crush (like the Turtle in Finding Nemo). Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on November 3rd, 2008
For incoming interns, present interns and leaving interns the experiences gathered at SAMPLA are never the same. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 21st, 2008
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 9th, 2008
The week started full of anticipation of finding and hopefully tagging one of the 5m sharks seen on Friday evening. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on October 6th, 2008
After many heartfelt goodbyes and promises of reunions from the departing September interns, the remaining three interns (Victoria, Beverly and Simone) welcomed the next batch of interns to the SAMPLA family Wednesday afternoon. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 29th, 2008
It was another eventful week for the SAMPLA team. With the majority of the interns back in action after a bout of illnesses, attempts were once again made to relocate our runaway shark, now renamed Xena. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2008
The theme for SAMPLA’s progress this week is A for effort. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 23rd, 2008
On Sunday September 14, 2008, a stranded seal thought to have come from the Southern Antarctic islands washed up in Mossel Bay. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 15th, 2008
The SAMPLA team set out on another tracking adventure on Thursday. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 12th, 2008
After being out of action due to engine problems, there was news that Cheetah (the other SAMPLA boat) was finally repaired and ready to hit the water again. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on September 9th, 2008
With the onset of cold and particularly windy conditions over the 1st weekend of September, SAMPLA operations temporarily ceased after an eventful, shark-filled week. Read more...
Posted by edna on August 26th, 2008
For one of the first times since “Sharkville” was released, SAMPLA crew members were able to witness a night time predation of a white shark on a seal near Seal Island. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 25th, 2008
This week, the SAMPLA team’s objective was to tag a shark and track it for 48 hours. Read more...
Posted by edna on August 14th, 2008
On Monday 11th August, a SAMPLA team including Ryan, Ed, Christine, Nico and Amy anchored by Seal Island to do some chumming. Read more...
Posted by edna on August 8th, 2008
One of the most magnificent sights to witness in the natural world is a great white shark breeching on and successfully killing a seal. Read more...
Posted by edna on August 7th, 2008
Until recently the main reason for the interns to visit ‘the Point’ area after a day at sea was to unwind in ‘Big Blu’, a laid back bar with spectacular views over the ocean. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on August 4th, 2008
Never before has any research group attempted to observe seal movements for a 24 hour period. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 30th, 2008
SAMPLA team managed to tag a large 3,8 meter white shark (which was previously tagged with a satellite tag) following it for a day and an half inside and outside Mossel Bay. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 28th, 2008
SAMPLA scientist Enrico Gennari went to the Natal Shark Board last week to dissect some white sharks for his PhD. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on July 27th, 2008
The first time you cruise around Seal Island and get a good smell of the 4,500 seals your nose wrinkles but eventually you get used to the smell. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 22nd, 2008
Cape fur seals are readily abundant here in the chilly waters off the coast of South Africa. In the heart of Mossel Bay lies an island that 4400 seals have colonized and made their resting spot. Unfortunately for the fur seals, there is a constant patrol of great white sharks. The seals have to be extremely agile and quick to avoid the stealth and teeth of the white sharks and therefore watching their behaviour as they travel to and from the island can be quite difficult. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 19th, 2008
SAMPLA reached another new milestone when they tagged another white shark on the outskirts of Seal Island. The 2.9 meter female was tagged on the South African holiday, Youth Day, which inspired the shark’s name, ‘Kiddo’. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 18th, 2008
Watching a shark jumping completely out of the water in a full attack is impressive enough, but witnessing it, two days in a row, a few meters behind the boat was just stunning. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on June 1st, 2008
Enrico's team: Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 31st, 2008
Stephen’s team: Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 30th, 2008
This is a report of the most exciting moments from the recent 72 hour-tracking straight from the interns’ mouths. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 24th, 2008
Today, SAMPLA launched its second major tracking effort of 2008. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on May 4th, 2008
These are the first impressions of two interns who arrived just few days ago: Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on April 3rd, 2008
We successfully completed a twenty four hour tracking session of Sampla, our first tagged shark. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 29th, 2008
As anticipated in the last blog episode, SAMPLA has tagged its first white shark, a female of 2.7-2.8 meters (around 9 feet) long, which we named “Sampla”. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 14th, 2008
Here at SAMPLA, we like to be called “dirty” scientists – perhaps a little ambiguous but it basically refers to us getting our work done in the field, with the smell of rotting fish and the ocean swell, rather than in an office (which is sometimes required, too!) Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on March 6th, 2008
The world is still full of challenges. The main thing is you have to look for them, things just don’t happen all by themselves… So seek out adventures, as long as you can find them, as long as you can tackle them with energy and all of your effort, you’ll succeed on them.” SIR EDMUND HILLARY Read more...
Posted by edna on March 6th, 2008
The Megalodon, Meg, (Carcharodon megalodon), is a prehistoric shark, amongst the largest and most formidable of the extinct marine predators. Read more...
Posted by edna on February 20th, 2008
This week saw SAMPLA travel to the Breede River in the Western Cape Province to search for South Africa’s most southerly population of Zambezi (bull) sharks. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on February 16th, 2008
SAMPLA’s inaugural week has arrived and gone, leaving an air of excitement amongst SAMPLA’s team of scientists, photographers and explorers. Read more...
Posted by Enrico Gennari on December 15th, 2007
Welcome to the beginning of SAMPLA. Read more...
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