Museum - East London Museum in East London, Eastern Cape

A very unusual find was reported to the museum. Pictured is one of the species of pearlfish which was found by Mr Kirchoff of Winterstrand this past weekend. Museum scientist Kevin Cole consulted with retired colleague Greg Brett who confirmed that the species may belong to the family of fish called Carapidae. Pearlfish have an interesting relationship with sea-cucumbers which they enter tail first to seek shelter. They may not necessarily only use sea-cucumbers and are also known to live in shellfish and other marine creatures. Referencing the book 'Sea fishes of southern Africa' by JLB Smith it is noted that the sheltering organism (such as the sea-cucumber) may derive some benefit from the excreta of the pearlfish. There is a lot more to these fascinating little creatures ...... .

A decomposing adult humpback whale washed ashore between Blue Bend and Bonza Bay this past weekend. An estimate of length is around 12.2 m with a weight estimate of 30 tons. This is the second whale to wash out in the area in a week and the fifth cetacean stranding for the season to date along our coast. The cause of death is unknown.

A fourth cetacean stranding for the season was investigated this morning. This juvenile 8.64 m humpback whale was reported to have washed ashore yesterday at Bonza Bay. The badly decomposed carcass did not offer any ready clues as to the cause of death. It had been heavily predated on by sharks. This is the second young humpback to wash ashore (the first was at Kei Mouth 2 months ago) and this marine mammal had not yet reached puberty (normally at a length of approximately 11 m). A calculation of weight for a humpback of this length would be approximately 10 000 kg's.

The Museum is preparing for opening and the public will be informed in due course when the Museum is open for visiting.The Museum is preparing for opening and the public will be informed in due course when the Museum is open for visiting.

This delightful little Black-headed Centipede-eater snake was delicately removed from a suburban garden today for release in a safer environment. Homeowner Rotarian Rajoo Naidoo (pictured left) has a previous history of encouraging the safe capture of snakes for identification and release and in this regard gardener Asandile Zonele (pictured right) took up the challenge and was rewarded with a visit to the museum snake display. He was happy to further his knowledge on these unusually small burrowing snakes (which feed almost exclusively on centipedes) with museum scientist Kevin Cole. We are encouraged by all acts of respect and kindness to animals that we share our world with.

Today is World Rhino Day

Thanks to all those folk that supported the International Coastal Clean-up this past weekend. The Kwelera National Botanical Garden supported by Wild Coast FM had a successful day with the Lilyfontein School Eco-warriors picking up loads of trash last Saturday along a splendid part of the coast within the metro.

One of the more colourful yet shy birds found in our area is the Narina Trogon. The one pictured was rehabilitated and released last week in the Umtiza Nature Reserve. The East London Museum assisted BCMM officials Siviwe Kweza (holding the Narina Trogon) and Roche Henning in selecting a suitable part of the forest for this female bird to re-establish itself in a habitat known to have the species. True to form it took off quickly after these photos were taken and disappeared into the forest like a ghost. Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency Reserve Manager, Ayaka Peter is thanked for facilitating access to the Umtiza Nature Reserve.