New Co-Champions Announced for Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot

February 25, 2025

Cover image: Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot Dedication

Overstrand, South Africa – The Cape Whale Coast on South Africa’s Western Cape stretches over 200 kilometers of coastline from Rooi Els to Quoin Point. A region of striking natural beauty, the Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot hosts a complex coastline of estuaries, beaches, and bays. Offshore, the convergence of the warm Agulhas Current and the cold Benguela Upwelling creates a nutrient-rich environment that sustains a wide diversity of marine life, including important breeding areas for the endangered African penguin (Spheniscus demersus). 

“South Africa is such an incredible part of the planet, where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean converge,” says Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder of Mission Blue. She continues, “To be able to stand at the Cape of Good Hope and actually have two oceans, blue and green, coming together, it’s just magical. The diversity of life on the land is legendary, and in the ocean, although not as well appreciated, is also very special.”

The Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot was originally recognized by Mission Blue in 2014 as part of a suite of South African Hope Spots. Today, Mission Blue is pleased to re-launch the Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot by welcoming a new set of Hope Spot Champions. Congratulations to Pierre de Villiers, Conservation Manager at CapeNature, and Kim Maclean, Founder of Sharklady Adventures, on becoming Champions for the Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot!

A diverse and vibrant region, it is home to iconic species such as the endangered African penguin, great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), and Southern right whale (Eubalaena australis), and many endemic bird species. This dynamic marine environment is a key location for integrating conservation efforts in South Africa aimed at protecting both wildlife and the communities that depend on it. Yet, despite its ecological wealth, the region faces increasing pressure from human activity, such as overfishing, pollution, and urban development.

The Cape Whale Coast is an ecotourism hotspot, attracting thousands of visitors each year for whale watching, shark cage diving, and birding. However, the growing population, particularly in Overstrand, is putting pressure on coastal areas that are particularly vulnerable to challenges including informal urban sprawl, pollution, and overfishing, which threaten both marine life and the livelihoods of legal small-scale fishers.

The Cape Whale Coast is home to several existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) including Bettys Bay MPA, Bot-Kleinmond, Klein, Uilkraal, Heuningnes and Breede Estuarine Systems, Walker Bay Whale Sanctuary MPA, Dyer Island Nature Reserve complex, and the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. However, gaps remain, and local efforts are focused on linking these areas to create a more robust and unified conservation corridor stretching from the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve to the De Hoop Marine Protected Area.

As part of the broader goal to safeguard this biodiversity hotspot, Hope Spot Champions aim to focus efforts on improving marine and estuarine monitoring, and increasing public awareness about sustainable practices. By connecting people with the natural world around them, local communities, conservationists, and tourists alike can play an active role in preserving this exceptional region.

About CapeNature

CapeNature is the authority responsible for nature conservation in the Western Cape, including marine, freshwater and terrestrial. The available tools are stewardship sites, protected areas including MPAs and World Heritage sites, Ramsar Sites and OECMS. Influencing sustainable use of all resources is also an important focus area and includes critical partnerships with tertiary institutions, NGOs and other Government Departments.

About Sharklady Adventures 

Sharklady Adventures are the first pioneers to start cage diving in South Africa in 1992. Concentrating on dispelling the myth of the man-eating monster, the great white shark, and simply giving the community the opportunity to experience this magnificent creature in its natural environment.