Shark Spotters

WE ARE LOOKING FOR A COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT (PART-TIME) 🖊️📷

Shark Spotters is seeking a motivated and creative Communications Assistant to join our communications team on a part-time basis. This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about conservation, science communication and storytelling to contribute meaningfully to both our Shark Spotters and Cape Baboon Partnership programmes working at the interface of wildlife, people and the environment.

Location: Cape Town

Deadline: 20 July 2026

Please do not submit any additional documentation other than those specified above.

2025 BY THE NUMBERS 📅

2025 was a year of adapting, growing, and making an impact. Here's a snapshot of what we achieved across our programmes:

🦈 Education Programme: Reached nearly 15,000 individuals.
🦈 Research Programme: Tagged 109 fish and elasmobranchs, as well as 8 great white sharks.
🦈 Coastal Conservation Programme: Continued rehabilitating Cape Town's coastline, maintaining tidal pools, and responding to marine wildlife incidents.

Beyond our programmes, we also celebrated winning the NGO category at the Kudu Awards, completed our inaugural Graduate Training Programme, presented our work at several conferences, and celebrated the graduation of our bronze whaler PhD student.

A huge thank you to our team, partners, supporters, and donors for making it all possible!

APPLICATIONS CLOSE TODAY! ⏰

We have 5x Internship positions available under the Shark Spotters Graduate Training Programme.

The SS-GTP offers training for graduates, equipping them with the necessary skills and training that are crucial in finding employment.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: TODAY!

Refer to advert for application requirements.

The first half of the year has been a busy one, but investing in our team's skills development has remained a priority.

Thanks to the generous support of De Beers, staff across our programmes have successfully completed a range of accredited training courses, including First Aid and Advanced Trauma, Chainsaw Operation, Health and Safety Management, and Wildfire Training. These opportunities have equipped our team with valuable new skills and certifications, strengthening both individual capacity and Shark Spotters' expanding operational scope.

Despite a busy programme of work, our commitment to skills development continues. Several additional training opportunities are already lined up for the months ahead, ensuring our team remains well-equipped to meet the evolving demands of our work.

We are incredibly grateful to De Beers for investing in our staff's skills development and supporting the operational needs of the organisation. By strengthening the capacity of our team, they are helping to enhance the long-term impact of our conservation, research, and safety programmes.

NOTICE: PLETT SHARK SPOTTERS OPERATIONS SUSPENDED FROM 1 JULY 2026 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Shark Spotters advises that its Plettenberg Bay shark spotting operations have been suspended with effect from 1 July 2026 and will remain suspended until further notice.

Despite extensive efforts over recent months, a new Memorandum of Agreement with Bitou Municipality has not yet been finalised. As the previous agreement expired on 30 June 2026, Shark Spotters no longer has either the mandate or the funding required to continue operating the programme.

This means there will be no Shark Spotters on duty at Plettenberg Bay beaches until a new agreement is concluded.

The suspension comes at a time when shark activity remains a real risk, particularly following the recent white shark predation event witnessed off Central Beach. Shark Spotters remains committed to restoring the service as soon as the necessary agreements are in place and will continue to work towards a resolution.

We will provide further updates as soon as more information becomes available.

ONE WEEK LEFT TO APPLY! ⌛

We have 5x Internship positions available under the Shark Spotters Graduate Training Programme.

The SS-GTP offers training for graduates, equipping them with the necessary skills and training that are crucial in finding employment.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 06 JULY 2026

Refer to advert for application requirements.

WEBINAR ALERT: COMMEMORATION OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT AND WORLD OCEANS DAY

We will be participating in the World Environment and World Oceans Day Commemoration Webinar this coming Friday, 26 June 2026 (09:00 AM – 11:30 AM). During the webinar, we will be sharing insights into our Environmental Education and Community Engagement initiatives, as well as the various partnerships that support our efforts.

The dialogue, including reflections from national and local stakeholders, will provide a timely platform to consider the global impacts of climate change, particularly its growing influence on ocean health, coastal ecosystems, and community resilience. As climate-related pressures intensify, it becomes increasingly important to strengthen collaboration and knowledge-sharing across sectors.

The webinar will also highlight the critical role of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in safeguarding biodiversity, supporting sustainable livelihoods, and enhancing ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change. Raising awareness and promoting collective action around MPAs is essential to securing our shared and sustainable environmental future.

Follow the conversation using the following link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZjVjOWNjNGUtZWZlNS00NGY2LWEzZmQtODA3ZjYyOTVhMTAz%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22ae74bf7f-cfc3-4760-a1fe-0731afaa5502%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22681919ef-3cda-433d-91a0-1edfaaa1ec68%22%7d

MandG Investment Managers (Pty) Ltd first supported Shark Spotters in 2016 and have since been instrumental in backing our Education Programme's Holiday Programme, a time when activity along our coastline is at its peak, making shark education initiatives undoubtably more valuable.

We extend an ocean of gratitude to M&G Investments: a wavemaker and a changemaker.

Read more about their support of Shark Spotters and their commitment to education and skills development here: https://sharkspotters.org.za/mg-investments-goes-gold/

M&G Investments Southern Africa

&G