Welcome

The Southern African Shark & Ray Symposium (SASRS) is a biennial meeting of the academic community of Southern Africa who are currently conducting research on these taxa.

Marine Dynamics will be hosting the 6th Southern African Shark & Ray Symposium from 17 – 19 November 2021 in Gansbaai, South Afirca. Website updates are in progress.

The 5th Southern African Shark & Ray Symposium was held from 7 to 9 October 2019 at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, South Africa. The theme of the Symposium was: Elasmobranchs in the blue economy.

Symposium information

The SASRS will be composed of a combination of oral and poster presentations, workshops, and public events – with plenty of added fun and adventure planned for attendees. Keynote presentations will be scheduled throughout the Symposium.

Venue

GANSBAAI is a key shark aggregation site/ location in the Western Cape, and part of the Cape Whale Coast, a Mission Blue Hope Spot.

The Symposium will be held from 17-19^th November 2021 in Gansbaai hosted by Marine Dynamics Shark & Whale Tours and the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. Gansbaai is approximately 2 hours from the Cape Town International Airport, and is easily accessible as a self-drive or by arranged airport transfer.

Marine Dynamics/Dyer Island Conservation Trust team is involved in critical white shark studies based on daily observational data and tagging and tracking studies. Marine Dynamics is an award-winning shark cage diving company showcasing the white shark and the bronze whaler shark. Dyer Island Conservation Trust is a registered non-profit focusing on marine conservation and community projects.

Dyer Island and the surrounding ocean is a critically important eco-system and home to the Marine Big 5. Known as an Important Bird Area, and managed by CapeNature, Dyer Island is home to breeding colonies of the endangered African penguin and other seabirds. About 60 000 Cape Fur Seals are resident on Geyser Rock opposite the island and they attract the densest population of Great White Sharks in the world. The many sheltered areas of the bay provide the breeding ground for the Southern Right Whales that migrate here from the sub-Antarctic islands between June to December each year. The area is also visited by Bryde’s and Humpback Whales as well as various dolphin species.

Delegates are to make their own transport and accommodation arrangements. Shuttles can be available to the venue each day if out of town. A number of accommodation options are available in close proximity to the Symposium venue.