Toxic tar balls have washed up on beaches in Algoa Bay, the Garden Route, and Struisbaai, raising alarms for vulnerable seabird populations. Conservationists highlight gaps in South Africa's coastal pollution monitoring as at least two Cape gannets have been found oiled in Cape St Francis. The source of the pollution remains unknown, with authorities urging the public not to handle the deposits.
Small clumps of weathered oil, known as tar balls, began appearing along South Africa's coastlines just over two weeks ago. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) first spotted them and reported the issue to authorities on 24 January. These sticky, toxic deposits have sparked concern in areas like Algoa Bay and Cape St Francis, which host colonies of endangered African penguins, while nearby Bird Island supports the largest colony of endangered Cape gannets.
To date, two Cape gannets have been affected in Cape St Francis, Eastern Cape. Sanccob retrieved one dead bird over the weekend and is treating a second that was lightly oiled. "It’s not very clear whether the type of oil on these birds matches the tar balls," said Monica Stassen, Sanccob’s preparedness and response manager. "You’d need to take samples of both to confirm, and our capabilities in South Africa for that are extremely limited."
No oiled penguins have been reported yet, but experts worry about the region's vulnerability. Stassen emphasized the lack of coastal monitoring: "There is no monitoring of our coastline, so any type of incident could happen, and unless the vessel reports it, it will go unnoticed until either birds get oiled or oil starts washing ashore."
South Africa's busy maritime traffic adds to the risks, yet pollution sources often go unidentified. Similar incidents oiled African penguins along the Eastern Cape coast over the past year, with no culprits found. Tebogo Ramatjie from the South African Maritime Safety Authority confirmed the tar balls' origin is unknown. In the absence of an identifiable polluter, government structures will handle cleanup while investigations proceed.
Ramatjie warned that tar balls are highly toxic and fatal if ingested by marine life, advising against public handling. Stassen echoed this, noting oil's dangers to humans and animals, and urged reporting sightings to local municipalities. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment had not responded to inquiries at publication time.
For oiled seabird sightings, contact Sanccob at +27 21 557 6155 or +27 78 638 3731 (after hours) in Cape Town, and +27 41 583 1830 or +27 64 019 8936 (after hours) in Gqeberha.
