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Stills from our dive in Sodwana.

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Eel and lionfish stills from snorkeling in Sodwana.

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Snorkeling at Kosi Bay.

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Photos by Carissa Marks

Monkeys eating avocados appreciation post.

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We had the opportunity to visit Kosi Bay and meet Enock, the manager of a local lodge and Jeffrey, the owner of one of Kosi Bay’s ancient fish traps. This particular fish trap has been passed down through generations for the last 700 years. This was a great opportunity in general but also because I wrote a research paper about the Kosi Bay fish traps, so it was really cool to see them in person. I wrote about the Kosi Bay fish traps here. Please pardon my lack of video skills!

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The time we had way too much fun with a turtle shell  🐢

Photos by Carissa Marks

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Photos by Carissa Marks

After our short adventure in Swaziland we returned to South Africa where we met Environmental Scientist, Mary Pieters, at Sodwana Marine Park. Mary taught our group about South Africa’s sea turtle populations, then lead us to the tidal pools where we learned about sea urchins, hermit crabs, snails, barnacles, and more. I have to say, having class at the beach was pretty incredible!

There are five species of sea turtles in South Africa: the green turtle, the hawksbill, the olive ridley, the leatherback and the loggerhead. Of these species only leatherback and loggerhead turtles nest along South Africa’s beaches. Sea turtles eat jellyfish and are important to marine ecosystems because they keep jellyfish populations in check. When jellyfish populations grow too large, fish populations may suffer as jellyfish feed on fish larvae.

Endangered loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) are the largest of the hard-shelled turtle species and can be found in all of the world’s warm ocean waters. Loggerheads eat plants and other animals and grow to weigh anywhere from 300-1200 lbs. Reaching sexual maturity between 17 and 35 years of age, loggerheads return to beaches every 2-3 years to nest, laying upwards of 1000 eggs per turtle per season. Only 1 out of 1000 eggs will hatch a turtle that will reach adulthood. 

The largest turtle species on earth with evolutionary roots which can be traced back more than 100 million years is the soft-shelled leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). Weighing in at 1 ton, leatherback turtles are critically endangered. Leatherbacks reach maturity around age 12 and feed on jellyfish and other soft-bodied animals. Leatherbacks are unique in that they are able to maintain warm body temperatures in cold water. Because of their large body sizes and a unique circulatory system function which allows blood travel to their bones and cartilage, leatherbacks are able to generate and conserve body heat and survive in cooler water temperatures.

SUPER INTERESTING GENDER FACTS! The gender of a sea turtle hatchling is dependent on sand temperature! Higher temperatures produce female hatchlings and cooler temperatures produce male hatchlings. This is called Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination (TSD). Unfortunately TSD has a downside. The combination of temperature determining gender and higher temperatures across the globe due to climate change poses a threat to sea turtles. Warmer nest temperatures will yield more females than males, creating a significant threat to genetic diversity. In addition to climate change, habitat destruction, entanglement in fishing gear and ingesting of plastic pollutants are huge threats to sea turtles.  Sea turtles are also targets for poachers as they are killed for their meat, skin and shells and their eggs are often over-harvested.

Mary is involved in creating and maintaining programs which increase public awareness and education of the local communities. Primary school programs designed to educate children about the plight of sea turtles are imperative to the survival effort and long-term sustainability when harvesting turtle eggs. Community members are directly involved in conducting surveys, sea turtle monitoring and management and tourism. As a result of having local communities work and volunteer in the field of sea turtle conservation local people and their communities benefit financially and educationally. These efforts are and will continue to be necessary for many years to come. The unfortunate fact is that many people remain ignorant to the decline in sea turtle populations and the reasons for this decline. What is visible are thousands and thousands of turtle eggs on the beaches it is difficult for these people to understand how the population of the animal who laid the eggs could be in danger. All that is seen is the abundance of eggs and how they could be used for food or to see for money, especially when money and resources are tight, every day is a struggle to make ends meet and there are mouths feed. The greatest challenge in educating the public about sea turtle conservation is conveying the importance of remaining in balance with nature with regard to sustainable practices and sustainable use of natural resources. As human impact is one of the biggest threats to sea turtle populations, the educational services and research that Mary and her colleagues provide are invaluable to sea turtle conservation. 

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Back from Swaziland to South Africa. Photos by Carissa Marks.

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Leaving Timbavati. Our group with Doctor, Lucky and Surprise. Photo by Lester Wadzinski

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Swaziland

The day after the sundowner at Ralf and Andrew’s homes we left South Africa for Swaziland. Swaziland is a small independent country bordered by South Africa and Mozambique.

We spent one night at the Hlane Game Reserve (pronounced hlon-ay) where we were surrounded by impala and nyala, rhinos and lions. We didn’t see any lions while in Hlane, but we heard them and it was thrilling to know they were so close by. Shortly after arriving as we were eating lunch outside of our bungalows several nyala wandered into our area and stayed around for quite a while.

As impala grazed and elephants passed by one of our professors, Bill Ruf, gave a lecture about evolution and natural selection. We discussed LaMarckism and Darwinism and the differences between the theories. LaMarckism refers to Jean Baptiste Lamarck ’s idea of trait inheritance. LaMarck’s theory came before Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the idea was that an organism can pass down acquired traits gained throughout its lifetime to its offspring. Examples that Bill gave were a giraffe stretching it’s neck out to get to out of reach leaves and human sprinters who work their entire lives to become faster. Traits acquired throughout a lifetime in order to reach a certain goal (like reaching leaves or running fast) are not passed on to offspring. LaMarck’s theory was disproved over time through observations and breakthroughs in genetics.

A = LaMarckism, B = Darwinism

The offspring of a giraffe that stretched its neck out over the course of its lifetime will not then give birth to a giraffe with a longer neck. In actuality Darwin’s theory is the winner. Giraffe neck lengths vary and the giraffes that are unable to reach the higher leaves because of short necks end up starving to death.

Later after the sun went down we all sat around the fire and heard from one of Hlane’s Game Rangers*. It was interesting to hear the perspective of a person from such a rich culture with strong tribal ties. One of the stories he shared that stuck with me was a snippet of something his grandfather told him as a child: never to kill a pregnant animal because then 2 lives are being taken and that can quickly cause problems for a wildlife population. He spoke to us about his passion for animals and conservation and the history of conservation in Swaziland. Hlane means wilderness in siSwati/Swazi (a language spoken in Swaziland and South Africa by the Swazi people). As a protected wilderness area, Hlane is protected for its environmental value, to preserve the land and the wildlife residing within Hlane. He told us about a man named Ted Reilly who has been Swaziland’s Royal Adviser on wildlife since the 1960′s. Reilly and his team have worked hard for many years to create educational programs and wildlife reserves throughout Swaziland. Reilly also created the draft for a piece of legislation called the Game Act that has been very effective in preserving protected areas and even protecting rhinos from poachers. 

White rhino mother and calf. Photo by Carissa Marks 

 After dinner a few of us headed back to the campfire where we chatted for a while stared at the stars. I’ve never seen so many stars! 

*Unfortunately I can’t remember this game ranger’s name. I have it in my journal but I don’t currently have my journal as it had to be handed in for grading. 

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On the road: South Africa to Swaziland. Photos by Carissa Marks.

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Potjie

Following Daniel’s snake presentation we had another lecture from Ralf Kalwa about poaching, which I wrote about here. Then we spent the rest of the day at Ralf and Andrew Deacon’s homes (they are neighbors) which are right off of the Crocodile River.

Elephant crossing the Crocodile River. Photo by Carissa Marks 

They have a beautiful view! Could you imagine? One of the houses in their neighborhood is currently for sale so some of the people in our group were trying to come up with a way to purchase the house together and just live in South Africa. 

Our group minus Ian & Johnnie. Photo by Andrew Deacon

We spent the rest of the day relaxing, enjoying each other’s company and watching the animals come and go from the river. It was a nice day. 

Andrew Deacon preparing potjie. Photo by Carissa Marks

Andrew spent the day making us a traditional Afrikaner dish called Potjie. Potjie (pronounced POI-KEY) looks a lot like a stew but it is not a stew. Potjie is prepared in layers. The first layer usually meat, then vegetables, then starch and then the sauce is poured on top. Ingredients that need to cook longer are usually placed at the bottom of the pot.  Potjie takes around 2-3 hours to cook and should not be stirred at all once the lid is on until it is completely finished cooking and ready to be served! Andrew was kind enough to make two versions of his potjie, one with oxtail and a vegan version for me because I don’t eat meat. It was delicious. I had 3 helpings!

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Photos by Carissa Marks

On June 7 we all piled into the van bus and headed to Ralf Kalwa’s house to meet snake and reptile experts, Daniel and William. Daniel introduced us to a variety of snakes in all shapes and sizes including a boomslang, a cobra and a black mamba. It was a great experience to be able to meet and speak with these snake experts and learn about the work that they do for snake conservation and also for people in South African communities. Some of the services that Daniel and his partners provide include educating homeowners and communities about snakes and the threats they may or may not pose to humans, how to keep snakes away from homes, how to react in the presence of a snake and more. 

 Below I’ve posted some facts we learned and some videos of Daniel Louw discussing different types of snakes. 

Black Mamba Facts:

The black mamba’s venom is a neurotoxin

Because of their sizes, attitudes and neurotoxic venom black mambas are considered to be the most dangerous snakes in the world

The inside of a black mambas mouth is inky black

Boomslang Facts:

The boomslang is the most venomous snake in South Africa

It’s also one of the most inoffensive snakes, meaning they’re shy and they won’t attack without good reason

The boomslang's fangs are on the back of its mouth while the fangs of other snakes are typically in the front of the mouth

They have rough, textured scales which improve their camouflage capabilities

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Our group with a massive African Rock Python skin!  

Photo by Ralf Kalwa

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Photos by Carissa Marks 

Dr. Andrew Deacon, Ecologist and Small Vertebrate Specialist took our group into the field to teach us first hand about bio-monitoring in Kruger Park. We saw the live animal traps he and his team set up to catch small animals. This mouse was found in one of his buckets. He told us a little about it and then set it free. Pictured above is Kasandra and the mouse we named Indiana :)

Photo by Ben Grubbs

Later we went to the Crocodile River where Dr. Deacon used an electro-fishing technique to catch fish. The electric current apparently does not harm the fish, it just stuns them for a bit. 

Photo by Ralf Kalwa

Pictured above is Dr. Deacon and Sara catching the stunned fish in a net then transferring them to a bucket. I had another bucket on land behind them and once Sara’s was full they would pour the contents of Sara’s bucket into mine. Once Dr. Deacon was satisfied with what he caught we all gathered around to categorize and log the species. There were several fish species, a frog, a crab and some shrimp. After they were categorized they were released back into the river.