Wildlife Archives - Cape Point Chronicle

Great White Sharks Season- the best time to go Cage Diving

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Russell Hepworth

False Bay is home to perhaps the worlds premium apex predator, the Great White Shark. Great White Sharks are present in False Bay throughout the year. Their behaviour and location is fairly regular and predictable, being mainly dictated by the habits and availability of prey. This level of predictability makes it easier to determine when are the best times to go and see thes...

A new visitor to the garden- African Harrier Hawk

Posted on August 26, 2014September 17, 2015 by Russell Hepworth

We have sighted this magnificent bird in other parts of Fish Hoek, but not close up and certainly not in as dramatic a way as happened this morning in the Garden when an African Harrier Hawk swooped majestically in front of our window. For a two years now a weaver bird has been trying (and failing) to start a colony in a pine tree bordering our property. This year he was joi...

Invader Species- The Balloon Vine

Posted on June 8, 2014June 8, 2014 by Russell Hepworth

My neighbours will attest to the fact that I am not a great gardener- reluctant at best. Sometimes though I am compelled to do something about the jungle that is my garden. Luckily at the moment the Cape Point weather provides a great excuse for not doing anything in the garden, but a fine day meant I had to actually go out there and make an effort. The other problem I have ...

The Culling of Great White Sharks

Posted on January 9, 2014January 9, 2014 by Russell Hepworth

Great White Sharks to be culled in Western Australia- not G' mate Today I received a rather alarming status on my Facebook profile about the plan to begin the culling of Great White Sharks in Western Australia. Not only does this plan (which looks like it is going to be put into action) mean that Western Australia is on the verge of a serious ecological mistake it also makes m...

An encounter with a visitor to our shores

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Russell Hepworth

Recent posts are beginning to suggest to me that I am becoming a bit of a twitcher. Unfortunately, as per previous posts, I am about the World’s worst bird spotter. I see a bird and think, I should find out what that is! So I remember the detail as best I can and look it up in our trusty, much thumbed, edition of the Sasol Bird Guide, only to discover that I have yet again seen...

Blacksmith Lapwing (Plover)

Posted on November 21, 2012November 21, 2012 by Russell Hepworth

Do we really take notice of what is around us, or do we just think we do? This evening I was doing the daily dog walk. I must confess that a lot of the time this consists of the same route around the Fish Hoek playing field. Often this is a good time to think and I have often done the whole walk and not really registered the fact- other times the walk is the event and I am a...

Baboons in Fish Hoek

Posted on June 16, 2012June 16, 2012 by Russell Hepworth

A large male baboon crossing Simons Town Road in Fish Hoek

A recent incident on Fish Hoek mountainside resulted in a baboon being shot. This indicates that baboons do frequent the mount slopes at the south end of Fish Hoek Valley, however, by no means are they as active in the area as they are in Glencairn and Simons Town. Lone, wandering, males transverse large distances in search of new troupes- an behaviour that prevents in breed...

I’ve seen my first southern right whale of the season

Posted on June 15, 2012June 15, 2012 by Russell Hepworth

It wasn't doing anything exciting, just hanging around on the surface- and it took me a while to identify it, too often in the past I have been fooled by floating debris, such as huge rafts of kelp and it was early evening with the setting sun casting shadows on the water. Then, after an eye watering stint of staring- poof, a tell-tale v-shaped puff of water- a Southern Right ...

Cape Clawless Otters- Safari part 1

Posted on June 7, 2012June 9, 2012 by Russell Hepworth

Recently I was on a beach between Glencairn and Simons Town. It was one of those autumn days that really defines the season on the Cape Point Peninsula, periods of warm sunshine interspersed with sharp, heavy rain showers. I was mooching along the sand, just above the tide line, looking at a set of dog prints when they intersected a second set. At this point I noticed that t...

Cape Point Baboons prove their intelligence

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Russell Hepworth

Continuing Conflict between Cape Points simian neighbours One of the big ongoing conflicts on the Cape Point Peninsula is that between humans and baboons. It is sad and tragic that Cape Points two simian neighbours cannot live in peace, learning from each other. Wisdom dictates that one proves their humanity and strength, not by proving your dominance but through understandi...