Through popular demand, we have decided to have one more competition for you our loyal followers!
As you've seen the Bhejane photo competition is well on its way with entries coming in very quickly now. We invite you to enter your photos today!
Competition Details
An album will be created on the Bhejane page named, 'Public Competition,' where your photo's will be uploaded.
Email your photo entries to hanroe@bhejanenaturetraining.com
In the email write a description for your photo with your name and surname, camera used to take the picture and if shot with DSLR, give us the settings and lenses you may have used.
You can also tell us where you took this picture and when!
Winners will be decided by the amount of 'likes' they get on Facebook, so share your pictures that are posted and tell friends and family to go view and 'like' your picture.
As well as the amount of 'likes' you will also be judged on overall photo composition and equipment used will also be taken into account!
Prizes will be announced soon!!
Send your pictures in and stipulate under which category you are entering. Your category's are as follows:
Wildlife
Birds
Landscapes
Marine
People and Nature
The smaller things
We look forward to seeing your pictures!!! Good luck!
As part of the FGASA Level 1 Marine guiding qualification,
students start off with a snorkeling practical. This introduces them to the
species one would find along our shores and prepares them to be able to provide
guests with a guided snorkeling safari.
The aim of this first practical is to get students
comfortable in the sea and to teach them snorkeling procedures that would be
applied to a guided experience with guests.
On Tuesday the 23rd of October the new Level 1
Marine group, the ‘Umkhomo’ group, went to Rocktail Bay for their first
practical with Bhejane Nature Training. The coastal drive to Rocktail Bay
offers some awesome landscapes and scenic views of coastal forests and lakes.
We stopped off at lake Sibaya, South Africa’s largest fresh
water lake. It is separated from the sea by coastal dunes only 2 km in
width, and presumably originated from an old lagoon, which later became
isolated by sand deposition. The water level is now 23 m above sea level and
fluctuates widely depending on rainfall and evaporation, because of the lack of
outflowing rivers. Lake Sibaya and its surrounding area is known for the wealth
of fauna containing a few rare species and more than 200 species of birds and a
large number of hippopotamus and crocodiles. Some 1,500 inhabitants on the lake
coast live on agriculture and fishery, keeping traditional ways of fishing. When the lagoon got separated from the sea
it slowly became a fresh water lake. Because this process was quite slow, some
species managed to adapt to the change in salinity and from being a marine species
now transformed to be a freshwater species.One example is the endemic
freshwater goby, Silhouettea sibayi
From there we set off to Rocktail Bay
Lodge, a beautiful, tranquil setting to spend the next 4 days. The lodge was
abandoned a few years ago and is now run by the community, situated in a lovely
thick coastal forest where I could enjoy a hot outdoor shower with a Livingstone’s
Turaco perched in the tree in front me!
Unfortunately weather conditions
weren’t all that great and the sea conditions was nothing like it could be in
the area, but we still went out and managed to learn a lot. On days where
weather and rain prevented the group from going snorkeling, time was spent
doing coastal tree and plant identification around the camp. Shells picked up
from the beach were brought back to be identified and time was spent going
through the list of fish seen during the days snorkel.
Birding in these coastal forest proves
to be challenging, especially for your beginner birders. The morning chorus of
bird calls erupts from dawn but trying to spot the Aves in their coastal
habitat is another story. (Everyone sharpened up on their bird calls though!)
We managed to work 3 snorkeling
sessions in between the rain and bad ocean conditions, the last two being the
most successful! The shallow waters of Lala Neck and Rocktail beach gave the
students that are not that comfortable yet in the ocean to adjust and get a
feel for the aquatic environment. Everyone managed very well, in what was not
ideal conditions, and managed to add quite a few species to their species list.
Amongst the species seen was, a blue spotted ribbon tail ray; six stripe soap
fish; rectangular trigger fish; floral moray eel; white spotted puffer; two
stripe blenny and many more.
Being able to offer guest a guided
snorkeling safari is definitely a huge attraction along the pristine beaches on the South African Coast, and would appeal to people of any age! More
snorkeling will be done with the group in Cape Vidal and the Kosi Bay mouth,
where they will hopefully experience better ocean conditions and see even
more.They will be going to Mission
Rocks next week for some more rocky shore practicals and snorkeling.
Below is short video of the weeks snorkeling experiences. As you'll see, conditions weren't ideal and visibility was not that great, but was still greatly enjoyed by all parties and had some very memorable moments.
Lake Sibaya
Students Doing Some Fish ID
Flower from the Cross Berry Raisin Tree
For more information on the Bhejane Marine Level 1 course email us today!
info@bhejanenaturetraining.com
Keep an eye on our facebook and blog pages for more pictures and in field updates.
