The greatest long-term threat to our existence is climate change and the lack of care of our environment. The NSRI believes in doing everything possible to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the environment. We also advocate the conservation of South Africa’s marine areas and support animal rescues.
Water crises in the Western, Eastern and Southern Cape, extreme weather conditions and devastating wildfires have all underlined the importance of the environment to sustainability and livelihoods.
We have taken a position with regards to conservation to identify with initiatives to conserve marine animals, whales, dolphins, turtles and seabirds, and actively participate in programmes related to protecting these species. We are positively against marine pollution of a solid, biological and chemical nature and lobby local government to improve their systems. We understand the impact that marine pollution has on human health and our activism relates to our values around human life. The ocean cannot continue to absorb the waste it is confronted with and we must make internal and external effort as an organisation to reduce pollution.
We are conscious of energy requirements and its impact on the environment, and we are constantly striving to reduce our environmental footprint through more efficient sources and mechanisms like LED lighting, four-stroke outboard motors, building insulation and reduced travel.
Help us to protect our planet.
Help us preserve South Africa’s marine wildlife.
The results of our energy-efficient and water-saving strategies have led to a reduction in our overall carbon footprint. Our facilities and assets reflect a culture of safety and concern for the environment. We strive to create awareness around the preservation of natural resources, including marine wildlife, and will always respond to marine animals in distress. Around 140 Sea Rescue volunteers, operating from 18 stations, have been trained to perform whale disentanglements.
The NSRI’s Durban duty crew was called on recently to help uShaka Sea World release a rare juvenile Indian yellow-nosed albatross.
NSRI Plettenberg Bay duty crew were alerted by the Southern Cape Marine Animal Stranding Network, who had a member of their team on the scene at Dune Park, Keurbooms Beach, where a Striped Dolphin was found to have beached.
NSRI Storms River and NSRI Oyster Bay duty crews were activated to join SA National Park rangers in an effort to save a leopard stranded on a cliff face on the Storms River at the marine section of the Storms River Gorge.
NSRI Wilderness dispatched a team to Kleinkranz Beach following a request for assistance for a family dog collapsed on the beach.
Whenever someone is in distress in or on South African waters, the NSRI will lend a hand – even if the individual in question offers them a hoof in return.
At 05h00, Wednesday, 2 February, NSRI Port Nolloth duty crew prepared our sea rescue craft Vodacom Rescuer 2 which we towed to the Orange River, Richtersveld near to Alexander Bay, to assist "Have a Heart" and "Network for Animals" to save horses trapped on islands on the flooded Orange River.