This message might be a bit of a read and if it looks like it might be too much let me summarise it in a short sentence:
If you're not actively seeing whales or dolphins then enjoy the posts but please don’t post yourself!
Do not ask questions!

There are always people about that have a near constant eye on the water and that WILL REPORT if they see anything, so there is no need to ask “anyone  seen anything?” (or similar). If nothing has been reported in the group then there is a good chance that nobody in the group has seen anything. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t anything about and it should encourage people to go and see if they can be first to report a sighting. Everyone in this group is keen to see whales & dolphins so, rest assured, if something is happening on the water it will be reported.

Please refrain from asking/reporting or commenting on unrelated topics especially while active sightings are being reported on. This unrelated chatter may potentially lead to people missing sightings or relevant updates about an active sighting. And in this vain, please avoid posting “thank you”, thumbs up or other courtesy gestures when someone posts information, a picture, etc. as this can also lead to the feed being filled unnecessarily. Not saying “thank you” will NOT be considered rude. 

This group is for reporting whales and dolphins spotted around the Cape Peninsula only. Should you wish to discuss any topics peripheral to a current sighting, or general topics involving the fantastic oceanic world that surrounds the Cape Peninsula, or the rest of the world, then please join and post in the Cape Peninsula Whale & Dolphin Discussion Group at https://t.me/+WopM-wOPAPJhYWE0

The idea behind the group is to report active sightings around the peninsula so that more people can get to enjoy our beautiful creatures.

Any posts not related to an actual sighting will be removed unless specifically approved by an admin. However, from time to time, admin or approved users will post information that is intended to further group members' understanding of the Cape Peninsula's marine environment while not related to a current sighting.

 

We encourage everyone to report even if you’re not sure of the species. It makes people aware of an animal in the area and those out and about can keep an eye out and hopefully help with identification.

When reporting try to include the following (in no particular order), if possible:

 • Species (or just “unknown” whale/dolphin)

 • Current location of animal(s)

 • Direction of travel (east, south etc. or towards Roman Rock, Simon’s Town, etc.)

 • Number of individuals (rough estimate will suffice)

 • Behaviour (e.g. breaching, flipper slapping, travelling)

To aid situational awareness the following abbreviations of geographical locations are commonly used:

 • WW - Whale Watchers lookout at Glencairn

 • MV - Murdoch Valley (south of Simon’s Town) 

 • MVS - Murdoch Valley South

 • MVN - Murdoch Valley North

 • RR - Roman Rock lighthouse 

 • ST - Simon’s Town

 • FH- Fish Hoek

 • GC- Glencairn

 • SC - Sunny Cove

 • SI - Seal Island

A map with the Cape Peninsula’s most prominent land based whale watching locations can be found here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1YMEvEhNl6tvORjiwbOTpCmCisPk8hDyu

The following abbreviations are used for the most commonly sighted whale and dolphin species:

 • HBW/HB - Humpback whale

 • SRW/SR - Southern Right whale

 • BW - Brydes whale

 • LBCD or CD - Long-beaked common dolphin

 • BND - Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphin

 • IOHD - Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin

 • KW - Killer whale or Orca

Including the above info will allow other group members to get a good idea of what’s going on without having to post any additional questions in the group which often leads to a lot of messages unnecessarily cluttering the feed.

When a special sighting is in progress (e.g. Killer whales in False Bay or Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins have been spotted) the group can become very active and there is a chance that some members might post messages that are in violation of „house rules“. Mistakes happen and no action will be taken other than the post probably being deleted by admins. However, should a group member continuously violate these rules then that member will be temporarily downgraded to „read only“ status and will no longer be able to post in the group. Outright banning will only be considered if rude, racist, sexist or other seriously offensive posts are made. 

If in doubt about the relevance of a potential post that you would like to add, or if you have any group related questions, please contact our admin (Alex Vogel) directly on Telegram or at seafari.app@gmail.com and he will endeavour to reply as soon as possible, my normal work permitting…

Happy Spotting!!!