Edited by Bev Mortimer
The NSRI Port Elizabeth assisted SanParks and Sanccob yesterday in recovering oiled penguins on islands offshore of Port of Ngqura.
Photo: NSRI Port Elizabeth.
They recovered 47 penguins – 32 adults and 15 chicks – in a search yesterday morning, 20 August, at St Croix, Jaheel and Brenton islands. No penguins needed rescuing from Brenton Island in the search from 8 am until 1.45 pm.
During this past week SanParks and Sanccob recovered a number of oiled penguins in the area washed up on beaches. They were suspected to have been oiled from an oil spill that apparently occurred during a ship to ship oil transfer – currently under investigation by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).
SanParks appealed to the NSRI to assist in the search and recovery operation that extended to the three Islands. NSRI Port Elizabeth vp;unyrrt duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Eikos Rescuer IV and Spirit of Surfski II and SanParks’ rigid inflatable boat JMB Malusi, skippered by NSRI, was launched carrying NSRI volunteers and SanParks rangers.
The NSRI volunteers circled the Islands looking for affected penguins and once located put rescue teams ashore over rocks to safely capture the birds. It was a difficult operation owing to rough sea conditions.
The penguins were brought into the Port of Ngqura aboard the sea rescue craft and aboard the SanParks craft and transported to treatment centres at SA Marine Rehabilitation Centre (SAMREC) ay in Port Elizabeth and Sanccob in Cape St Francis.
Sanccob has appealed for towels and newspapers to use in cleaning the penguins. These donations can be left at Wimpy in Jeffreys Bay or at Sanccob in Cape St Francis.
Info source: NSRI
St Francis Chronicle 