Marine protected areas (MPAs) are the ‘nature reserves’ of the sea, conserving marine biodiversity to protect threatened species and ocean health. South Africa is home to some 41 MPAs that play a vital role in ocean conservation, although currently only 5% of the country’s ocean space is protected by these vital areas.
In celebration of MPA Day on 1 August 2024, here’s a look at four of South Africa’s biggest coastal MPAs:
iSimangaliso MPA
Translation: Miracles and Wonder
Location: Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal North Coast
This MPA, which forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, is home to the rediscovered coelacanth, a fish that has existed since the dinosaurs. This is also an important nesting ground for leatherback and loggerhead turtles. The beautiful coral reefs off Sodwana are enjoyed by thousands of local and international scuba divers. The offshore waters are teaming with gamefish that attract many recreational ski-boat anglers every year. Although pelagic game fishing is permitted in zoned areas, no bottom fishing is allowed, which protects reef fish.
The offshore expansion of this MPA that took place in 2019 now safeguards the feeding grounds of critically endangered leatherback turtles while protecting the entire continental shelf slope including numerous submarine canyons where coelacanths live. The deeper areas are home to dense fields of sea pens, delicate birds-nest glass sponges and other unusual animals adapted to living in this twilight zone.
Benefits of the iSimangaliso MPA:
- Safeguards breeding and feeding areas of leatherback and loggerhead turtles.
- Protects some of the world’s southernmost coral reefs.
- Offers world-class scuba diving and game-fishing.
- Protects submarine canyons where coelacanths live.
- Protects reef fish spawning aggregations and spillover to adjacent exploited areas supports fisheries.
- Protects a wide diversity of shark and ray species.
Pondoland MPA
Translation: Waterfall Wonderland
Location: Pondoland Coast, Eastern Cape
This unique 90km stretch of the Wild Coast is home to many threatened and endemic reef fishes located within the 1 237 square kilometre protected area, extending from the Mzamba River south of Port Edward to the Umzimvubu River at Port St Johns and about 10km offshore (to the 1 000m depth contour). Some of the country’s healthiest estuaries are protected within this MPA, which is characterised by rocky shores backed by grasslands and forests that form part of the Pondoland Centre of Endemism.
Along Waterfall Bluff, which is part of the Egosa Fault north of Mbotyi, waterfalls drop nearly 100m directly into the ocean. Transitioning between subtropical waters and warm temperate waters, the Pondoland MPA is home to a high percentage of endemic species found nowhere else in the world and is an important spawning ground for several migratory fish species such as yellowtail and geelbek. This MPA forms part of the route of the annual Sardine Run during winter, while in summer, large shoals of adult giant kingfish visit the Mtentu Estuary for refuge when the sea is cold.
Benefits of the Pondoland MPA:
- Protects some of South Africa’s healthiest estuaries.
- Protects overexploited linefish and allows for their recovery.
- Enhances adjacent fished areas through spillover.
- Protects a wide diversity of invertebrates and seaweeds found nowhere else in the world.
- Offers tourists and divers access to the annual Sardine Run, known as “The Greatest Shoal on Earth”.
Tsitsikamma MPA
Translation: Place of Much Water
Nickname: The Crown Jewel of South African MPAs
Location: Garden Route, on the border between the Eastern and Western Cape
Established in 1964, this 294 square kilometre MPA is an invaluable national asset extending 60km from Groot Rivier East to Groot Rivier West and 5.6km out to sea. This wild coastal stretch is characterised by dramatic cliffs and rugged rocks, with forests home to ancient yellowwood trees and fynbos grasslands, all protecting endemic species of the warm temperate Agulhas Ecoregion.
Benefits of the Tsitsikamma MPA:
- Protects unique marine biodiversity characteristic of this warm temperate ecoregion.
- Protects endemic fish and allows for spillover into adjacent areas, supporting local fishers.
- Provides a benchmark for scientific study into healthy, unexploited fish and invertebrate populations.
- Tsitsikamma is the marine equivalent of the Kruger National Park, attracting thousands of visitors – with the famous Otter Hiking Trail often being booked over a year in advance.
- Local businesses benefit from the tourists attracted to the Tsitsikamma MPA.
De Hoop MPA
Translation: The Hope
Nickname: Whale Trail
Location: Near Cape Agulhas, Western Cape
The beautiful beaches and fynbos of this 289 square kilometre MPA make this a tourist haven, extending 48km from Witsand to Skipskop on the southern Cape coast and extending 5.6km out to sea. Considered one of the best places in the world for shore-based whale watching from May to June when southern right whales calve, up to 350 southern right whales have been recorded at one time. Migrating hammerhead sharks, mega-pods of dolphins and flocks of Cape gannets feasting on sardines can also be seen. Intertidal rocky platforms and rocky subtidal reefs are home to incredible marine life.
Benefits of De Hoop MPA:
- Protects vulnerable surf-zone fish, shark and ray species.
- Supports fish populations in adjacent, exploited areas through spillover.
- Provides a safe haven for breeding whales.
- An important area for tourism and environmental education, which supports local businesses.
- The adjacent De Hoop Nature Reserve is home to the amazing plant diversity of the Cape fynbos, as well as bird and antelope species.
- Fish tagging has demonstrated the movement of galjoen (South Africa’s national fish) out of the MPA and how it benefits adjacent fisheries.
Join in the MPA Day celebrations in 2024
Themed “Celebrating MPAs – for People and for Nature”, MPA Day invites people across the globe to recognise the importance of these ‘nature reserves of the sea’.
Check out all the MPA Day 2024 action by visiting MPA Day for updated events and activities. Join in the discussions around MPAs on Instagram, X or Facebook.
Image credit: Freepik