Looking after the seals and the bay
We earn our living from a wild colony inside a marine protected area. That comes with a code of conduct towards the animals and the environment, and with work that happens off the boat.
Seal pup rescue and rehabilitation
With Tenikwa Wildlife Awareness and Rehabilitation Centre, we rescue pups that wash off the rocks too young and take them back to the colony.
Fur seal pups live entirely on land for their first 10 to 12 weeks, while they build strength and learn to swim by trial and error. They often get knocked off the rocks by other seals or by stormy swell before they are ready. The lucky ones reach a beach without drowning, exhausted and usually dehydrated.
Tenikwa gives each pup a medical check and rehydrates it. Then we take it back out and reunite it with the colony. A pup returned within three days has a 50% chance of surviving, so speed matters.
Sea rescue, Station 14
Our owner and skipper, Jaco Kruger, is station commander of NSRI Station 14, Plettenberg Bay's volunteer sea rescue crew.
Jaco comes from a lifesaving background and joined Station 14 soon after moving to Plett. He served as a volunteer for many years before taking command. For him the important word is "collective": a station succeeds when its crew works as one.
Training is key to the success of our station. Rescues and training create a bond among volunteers that is near indestructible. We are a great team of strong individuals working as a collective.
WESSA Blue Flag status
Offshore Adventures holds WESSA Blue Flag status, awarded to boat operators who meet its standards for safety, environmental management and education.
Research and the Hope Spot
We support marine and conservation research in our area, especially in the Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area. Researchers and students are welcome aboard our boats for their projects, and we lend a hand where we can.
We are a supporter and committee member of the Plett Hope Spot, and we fund seal rehabilitation.
How we behave around seals
The point of the swim is to meet wild animals in their own environment without changing how they behave.
- The seals choose how close to come. Nobody chases them
- No feeding and no touching
- A briefing before anyone gets in, and a guide in the water throughout
- Calm, quiet groups, so the colony stays relaxed
- Time in the water is limited, and shorter still during the rabies outbreak
Plett Ocean Smart
Plett Ocean Smart raises funds for surveillance, signage and educational tools to make the beaches and waterways safer throughout Bitou. We are a member, and you can donate directly.
Memberships and associations
See them for yourself
Every trip is run to the same code. Come out to the colony, in the water or on the deck.