Supporting South Africa’s marine protected areas. Helderberg Marine Protected Area. Few people know of the Helderberg Marine Protected Area that lies on the northeastern shore of False Bay adjacent to the City of Cape Town. It is situated between the Eerste River mouth and the Lourens River Mouth to the west of Strand and although only four kilometers in length and extending out to sea for 500 meters it is a no-take MPA that is regarded as the last bit of untouched sandy beach on the north shore of False Bay.

This beach protects sand mussels, mole and ghost crabs, ploughshare snails and sand hoppers that in turn provide vital food for the kelp and hartlaubs gulls and for the African black oystercatchers, white-fronted plovers and sanderlings that regularly occur there. Minute life between the sand grains, otherwise known as meiofauna, is plentiful on this coastline and due to their sensitivity to disturbance, this meiofauna is being closely monitored to determine the levels and impacts of pollution in the Bay. Offshore, there are also a few low profile sandstone reefs.

For more information please do visit Marine Protected Areas South Africa and also please help spread the news in support of our MPAs.