Community unites to save 'most endangered' Western Cape seahorses

Conservationists, community members and holidaymakers descended on Western Cape beaches in their numbers to rescue thousands of highly endangered seahorses that were washed up after the recent heavy rains that battered the coastline. 

Conservationists say unusually high numbers of sea creatures, including seahorses, have washed up near estuaries because of the heavy rains which dilute the salt water habitats of the animals, causing them distress.

The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE) has reported abalone, alikreukel (periwinkles) and other shellfish being washed up in Uilkraalsmond and Buffeljagsbaai in the past few days. 

“The fresh flood water diluted the salty seawater in the nearshore. Fish tend to move away from these areas but slower and sessile (non-moving) invertebrates cannot and become physiologically stressed in the fresher water,” said the department.

“This is likely why abalone and other molluscs washed up, while other species such as fish and rock lobster swam and/or walked away.”

Department workers and holidaymakers in Plettenberg Bay gathered to help rescue seahorses on Lookout Beach after social media posts went viral. 

CapeNature spokesperson Petro van Ryhn told TimesLIVE that heavy rains and flooding  in the Keurbooms and Bitou rivers persisted for some time.

“This flushed a significant number of seahorses out of the mouth of the river at low tide, causing them to be deposited on Lookout Beach at Plettenberg Bay.” 

More than 1,000  seahorses were rescued and 720 were returned to their natural habitat. 

“They are being put back into the estuaries (the place where rivers enter the sea) where they usually occur and where there is a huge eelgrass bed where they seek refuge and where they find their food,” said Van Rhyn. 

Knysna seahorses are endemic to the Garden Route and are found in only three southern Cape estuaries — Knysna, Swartvlei and Keurbooms. They are the most threatened species of seahorse in the world. 

Van Rhyn said the department thanked all the  community members, holidaymakers and volunteers from Save the Seahorse and CapeNature for “responding in their numbers to rescue the stranded creatures”.

TimesLIVE