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South African National Parks said it had “successfully restocked” the Knysna seahorse educational display tank at its office on Thesen Island, in Knysna.
National spokesperson, JP Louw, said this initiative formed part of their ongoing efforts to raise awareness about this unique species and to strengthen conservation education in the Garden Route National Park.
“The Thesen Island office is one of the few locations in South Africa permitted to house and display captive Knysna seahorses for educational purposes.
“This rare species is found naturally only in three estuaries in the world, Swartvlei, Knysna, and Keurbooms and all are located within the Garden Route,” Louw said.
He said the display tank at Thesen Island offers visitors a unique opportunity to view these iconic marine creatures up close while learning about the threats they face in the wild, including habitat degradation and pollution.
“While the educational permit allows for the housing of up to 50 adult seahorses, the tank population had declined significantly in recent years, with fewer than three breeding pairs remaining by early 2024.
“The decline was primarily due to natural ageing, as most of the seahorses had exceeded their typical lifespan of five years,” Louw added.
He said SANParks researchers recently introduced six young adult seahorses from the Knysna Estuary to boost the tank’s breeding population and enhance genetic diversity.
Louw said this was done in line with the standing permit from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment issued under the Marine Living Resource Act.
