Sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras are unlike most fish. They have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone, and inhabit oceans worldwide, as well as in some estuaries and even in freshwater environments. Namibia is home to 87 of these…

Like Many Marine ecosystems worldwide, the Benguela Current along Namibia’s shores faces increasing pressure from industrial activity. Long-established industries have left their mark on the ocean. Collapsing fish stocks, noise and plastic pollution, as well as chemical contamination, are among…

Fishing for subsistence is the oldest and most sustainable form of fishing, dating back to 40 000–10 000 BCE. In Namibia, small-scale fishers have long been overlooked in policies. Yet the sector supports more than 1 500 seasonal and full-time…

In early April, a Cape Fur Seal rescued at Mossel Bay in South Africa had to be euthanised because of its poor condition. The animal hospital caring for it asked that the seal be tested not only for rabies, but…

Last Friday, a female African penguin was successfully released back into the wild on Halifax Island near Lüderitz. Named AP002, the penguin was cared for by the Namibian Foundation for the Conservation of Seabirds (Namcob) for 49 days before she…

Namibia’s coastline is home to diverse fauna from Cape fur seals and seabirds to desert-adapted lions and scavengers such as the black-backed jackal and the brown hyena, often called the ‘strandloper’ (beach walker). Even vultures feed on carcasses along our…