South African Shark Conservancy, Hermanus, Cape Whale Coast, South Africa

Founded in 2007 by friend Meaghan McCord, the South African Shark Conservancy has a research focus on the development of biological and ecological baselines, and long-term monitoring of species diversity, abundance and habitat use within Walker Bay and along the South African coast. The Shark Conservancy lab is located in Hermanus, South Africa, on Walker Bay, in the Western Cape. This is part of the Cape Whale Coast, which was designated a Hope Spot in 2014.

In this video, we hear from Colby Bignell, Lab Manager and Social Media Manager at the Shark Conservancy.

The 200 km-long Cape Whale Coast is unique in its combination of rich and abundant biodiversity, spectacular scenery and cultural heritage. Mountains run down to an intricate coastline of estuaries, beaches and bays. Offshore, two major ocean currents come together, as temperate south coast currents meet cold west coast upwellings. In addition to being the the great white shark capital of the world, the region is home to a number of iconic animals, including the Marine Big Five: African penguin, great white shark, Cape fur seal, whales (humpback, Southern right and Bryde's) and dolphins (common, bottlenose and humpback).

http://explorers.institute/podcast/SouthAfricanSharkConservancy.mp3

For more about the South African Shark Conservancy: http://www.sharkconservancy.org

For more about Hope Spots: http://www.mission-blue.org