Georgina Jones, a leading expert, photographer, and author on local marine life, will present a public talk about the marine life of the Cape Peninsula in Franschhoek.
Ms Jones is affiliated to the Southern Underwater Research Group (SURG), which publishes specialist books on marine biodiversity. She wrote the popular diver’s handbook A Field Guide to the Marine Animals of the Cape Peninsula in 2008, and co-authored a book on the sea slugs (nudibranchs) of the Maputaland coast in 2019.
She has just completed a massive project, updating and editing Terrence Gosliner’s classic Nudibranchs of South Africa. The new edition has been published as Southern African Sea Slugs, and features no fewer than 868 species of nudibranch, including photographs. Copies of this comprehensive reference book will be on sale at the event.
Ms Jones has been an active marine naturalist and diver since 1990, when she first explored the waters of False Bay. 34 years later, she still believes that the Cape Peninsula area still offers some of the most fascinating diving in the world – despite the cold water.
The talk will be focused on the Cape Peninsula, where divers can find no fewer than four basic underwater habitats: rocky shorelines, expanses of sandy substrate, open water, and rock bottoms and reefs.
To add further diversity to the area, Cape Point serves as a natural boundary between two different marine bioregions. This is obvious to many swimmers in terms of temperature, with False Bay reliably being a few degrees warmer than the west coast of the Peninsula.
While many are familiar with larger sea mammals like seals, dolphins and whales, the highlight of the talk will undoubtedly be Ms Jones’s encyclopaedic knowledge of sea slugs. These colourful creatures are amongst the most mysterious animals in the sea, and Cape waters boast a wide variety of species.
Furthermore Ms Jones will also discuss molluscs (such as mussels, limpits, snails, octopuses and squids), as well as sea worms, jellyfish, sharks and fish.
This event is part of the SmallTalX series of public talks at the Franschhoek Theatre. The talk will be followed by a Q&A session, as well as wine and snacks. The SmallTalX team have partnered with Wordsworth Books to offer a selection of marine biology-related books for sale.
The talk takes place at the Franschhoek Theatre on Wednesday 26 June, at 6.30pm. Tickets are R250 per person and includes wine and snacks.
Advance booking is essential, and can be done online at www.franschhoektheatre.co.za
For further information, email smalltalx.info@gmail.com or WhatsApp 076 469 6485.
