Currents of Contrast: Life in Southern Africa's Two Oceans

Southern Africa’s coast is the meeting place of two ocean giants – the Benguela current of the Atlantic Ocean and the Agulhas of the Indian Ocean. They clash fiercely at the continent’s southern tip, dividing the region into two contrasting marine ecosystems that rank among the richest, most biologically diverse and oceanographically complex on the planet.

The waters of the west coast are fed by the Benguela, a cold current that accounts for the enormous volume of marine life found here, while those of the east coast – warmed by the Agulhas current – are noted for their huge variety of life forms.

Currents of Contrast – Life in Southern Africa’s Two Oceans first introduces the realm of the Benguela, where you will encounter the ocean’s ultimate predator, the great white shark. Here, the nutrient-rich waters wash over rocky reefs, and vast kelp forests thrive, providing food for diverse animals and plants, among them Cape clawless otters. In the realm of the Agulhas, you can explore the Knysna estuary and its most charismatic inhabitant, the Knysna seahorse. Follow the sardine run on the east coast and witness the suite of predators that feasts on this silver cornucopia.

Thomas P. Peschak is a marine biologist at the University of Cape Town’s Marine Biology Research Institute. He leads ongoing research into abalone poaching, kelp forest ecology, Cape Clawless Otters and the ethno-marine biology knowledge of traditional cultures. He is an experienced field biologist and research diver and has worked in Africa, Central America, the Middle East and in the South Pacific. Thomas is an award winning natural history photographer and writer specializing in underwater and marine wildlife subject across Africa. He is a regular contributor to BBC Wildlife magazine and to Africa Geographic.