Heroes
Sea turtle conservation does not happen by itself. It takes a massive team effort to keep the conservation agenda going at both locally and internationally, and it is not easy getting up, working the beaches night after night, months on end, when the rest of the world is on holiday during the festive season. As such there are a few “heroes” to be singled out.
Dr George Hughes (left) and Dr Ronel Nel (right)
Dr George Hughes is seen as the “father” of sea turtle conservation in South Africa, although he always humbly replies with “I did not start the turtle program”. Dr Hughes joined the turtle program in 1965, first as a junior field ranger after which he later did his PHD on the Sea Turtles of the Western Indian Ocean. He eventually became the CEO of the Natal Parks Board now Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife taking the program to a globally-renowned program. As such, George was elected as one of the first Advisory Committee Members to an international sea turtle agreement for the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia region. In 2008 he received the “Lifetime Achievers Award” by the International Sea Turtle Society and is still an advisor to all turtle activities in South Africa.
Dr Ronel Nel became the inhouse expert to the sea turtle program of Ezemvelo in 2002 as the successor to Dr Hughes. After a short time at the agency, she realised the number of scientific questions left unanswered and started an active research program at Nelson Mandela University. She has supervised or graduated 33 M&D students of which all are in coastal or sandy beach conservation, sea turtle biology or ecology. Dr Nel now serves as the Advisor to the South African government and the international sea turtle agreement.
July Ngubane; was the field ranger that worked with sea turtles for the longest time! He was a son of the area and a passionate field ranger protecting sea turtles and all of the marine life in the Bhanga Nek area for about 30 years. Every youngster that ever volunteered in the program remembers July, and the other field rangers like John and Kenny, with reverence for their quiet competence, commitment, initiative and field skills.
Santosh Bachoo: Marine Ecologist at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Santosh started working with sea turtles in 2005 and has handled every sea turtle monitoring season since and almost every sea turtle stranding in KwaZulu-Natal. It sounds like a dream job, but few have Santosh's dedication to do this work year in and out and consistently put sea turtles and the environment first.
Scotty Kyle: Recently retired Regional Ecologist from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Scotty never formally had any responsibility in the sea turtle program but as an avid naturalist and a “local” he observed sea turtles in “Maputaland” for his entire career. He assisted with setting up monitoring programs in multiple sites over Mozambique and so protected turtles in the wider Western Indian Ocean region.
Jeff Gaisford, retired Media Liaison from Ezemvelo, was the most seasoned beach driver known on the iSimangaliso beaches. All the experienced media people in KZN or national Media will know Jeff’s easy-going attitude and welcoming coffee from the back of his truck (nicknamed Caffe-de-Moveon) in the crisis moments because of an absence of turtles in the early hours of the morning. Jeff trained most newcomers on dealing with the media, and tourists and even instructed us how to drive on beaches.
The Unsung Heroes are all members of the local communities in iSimangaliso Wetland Park. For decades now, local community members have walked the beaches at night to collect data and protect sea turtles from unwanted attention from poachers. Each monitor walk about 30km daily to protect and record turtle nesting events. And they do this for five months of the year! Collectively, they walk about twice around the earth each season to protect nesting females and their hatchlings.
Turtle monitors are being trained in October each year at the start of the monitoring season by the Ezemvelo Staff.