Dyer Island Nature Reserve Complex

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Dyer Island Nature Reserve Complex
Dyer Island.jpg
Map
Dyer Island and Geyser Island, off the coast of Gansbaai. And Quoin Rock off Quoin Point Nature Reserve.
LocationWestern Cape, South Africa
Nearest cityGansbaai
Coordinates34°40′58″S 19°25′13″E / 34.6829°S 19.4203°E / -34.6829; 19.4203Coordinates: 34°40′58″S 19°25′13″E / 34.6829°S 19.4203°E / -34.6829; 19.4203
EstablishedMarch 9, 1988; 36 years ago (1988-03-09)
Governing bodyCapeNature
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The Dyer Island Nature Reserve Complex is a protected area off the coast of Gansbaai in the Western Cape, South Africa. It consists of 3 islets, namely Dyer Island and Geyser Island, and Quoin Rock, 25 kilometres away off the coast of Quoin Point Nature Reserve.[1][2][3]

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose dolphins off Geyser Island.

In 2019, Dyer Island and Geyser Island had been designated a Ramsar site.

Dyer Island is the largest group of the islands, and is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) offshore from Gansbaai and Danger Point Lighthouse. It is home to a declining colony of African penguins (≈ 5000 individuals in 2015). Geyser Island is a smaller island nearby and is home to around 60,000 brown fur seals.

The shallow channel between the two islands is popularly known as Shark Alley.

The reserve and cannot be accessed by the general public.

History

The original name of Dyer Island was Ilha da Fera (Island of wild creatures), so named by Portuguese seafarers in the 15th century.

It is named after Samson Dyer, an emigrant from the US to the Cape Colony in 1806, who lived on the island collecting guano, which he sold to mainlanders as fertiliser.

Great white shark near Dyer Island

In 1988, the islands were named individual Provincial Nature Reserves. And in 2019, were designated as a Ramsar site.

Biodiversity

The reserve is home to a number of threatened species:[4]

Birds

Fish

Mammals

References

  1. ^ "Dyer Island Nature Reserve Complex Management Plan" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Gazetted Name: Dyer Island Provincial Nature Reserve" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Gazetted Name: Geyser Island Provincial Nature Reserve" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Dyer Island Nature Reserve".
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