De Hoop Nature Reserve comprises a Marine Protected Area and a terrestrial Nature Reserve. It is a World Heritage Site and Ramsar Wetland site. It is considered as one of the flagship Fynbos Biome reserve's.
De Hoop is world renowed for it's Southern Right Whales that can be see off the coastline from April to November each year. The reserves holds numerous endemic, bird, mammal and plant species. The rocky, weathered, coastline with numerous sandy beaches and tidal pools is full of photographic potential.
What to expect:
Given the protected status of the coastline and given the diversity of coastal habitats that are richly packed with invertebrate food sources, De Hoop Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area is a haven for coastal bird species. Summer months are particularly worthwhile for viewing these birds as an influx of migrant waders join the resident species and one can expect to view African Black Oystercatcher, Kelp Gull, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, White-Fronted Plover, Whimbrel and Grey Plover. A scan with binoculars out to sea will add Cape Cormorant, Cape Gannet, Swift, Caspian and Sandwich Terns and for the lucky even Sub-Antarctic Skuas and the endangered African Penguin. The intertidal sandstone platforms at Koppie Alleen form the richest feeding grounds and several species can be viewed simultaneously.
What is the commonest resident species?
African Black Oystercatchers are resident throughout the year and in fact De Hoop has some of the densest populations of this endangered and endemic species. The populations of this bird suffered considerably due to off-road driving on South Africa’s beaches. In the early 1980’s their global numbers plummeted to around 4500 birds and through conservation efforts (including banning off-road driving on beaches) the population now stands at around 6000 birds. They feed on the intertidal platforms at low tide, where mussels, limpets and reef-words form their main food. Feeding on the edge of the platforms where waves often break, these birds are able to time their movements to the millisecond so as to avoid being swamped by waves.
Do the African Penguins breed at De Hoop?
It is starting to be well known that there seems to be an eastern shift in the population of African Penguins in South Africa and a couple of years ago a small population of penguins started to breed on an isolated peninsula at De Hoop. The population soon reached close on a hundred birds and terns of several species also started to roost at the site. A caracal discovered the breeding birds and systematically began to kill them until the remaining penguins moved elsewhere. They can however still often be seen feeding close inshore in large groups and the status of the marine protected area provides rich feeding grounds for the penguins.
In late summer large flocks of birds can be seen out to sea – what is happening?
Between February and April, small bait fish, including sardines begin to shoal and these attract one of nature’s greatest spectacles as dolphins, sharks, game fish, whales and seabirds begin to follow them in their thousands. Flocks of several thousand Cape Gannet converge on the shoals and dive into the water, swimming down as deep as 20 meters to catch the fish and as dolphin push the bait fish to the surface from below. Swift, Caspian and Sandwich Terns also follow the flocks picking up smaller fish. Sub-antarctic Skua and Kelp Gulls harass any birds with fish in the hope that they will then drop their valuable catch which is then quickly snatched up by the pirating Skuas and gulls.
For guided bird and marine walks at De Hoop, contact Dalfrenzo Laing at 0790638505 or contact De Hoop Collections at 028-5421253
Text: Peter Chadwick www.wildlife-expressions.co.za
