South Africa is a global hotspot for shark and ray biodiversity — home to over 200 species, including many found nowhere else on Earth. In this episode of Beyond All the Sharks, Chris & Brendan team up with their friend and fellow Shark Doc, Dr. Alison Kock of South African National Parks (SANParks), to dive into the science, conservation, and management of these incredible animals along South Africa’s ~3,000 km coastline.

From white sharks in False Bay to endemic catsharks and shysharks, Dr. Kock has dedicated her career to protecting species that play a critical role in ocean ecosystems.

Thanks to:

📸 Andy Murch – www.sharksandrays.org | YouTube: @bigfishexpeditions8233 | IG: @bigfishexpeditions

📸 Morne Hardenberg – @mornehardenberg

📸 Mark Van Coller – @AtlanticEdgeFilms

📸 Dr. Alison Kock – @alison_kock

Resources & References

🌍 South Africa National Parks

SANParks – https://www.sanparks.org/?home

👩‍🔬 Dr. Kock's story

Save Our Seas Foundation – https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/alison-kock/

📊 IUCN Red List Assessment for White Shark

Rigby et al., 2022 – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3855/212629880

📈 Preliminary recovery of White Shark in the NW Atlantic

Curtis et al., 2014 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099240

🌊 White Shark habitat shift towards Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Bowlby et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23008622

🌐 Biodiversity & conservation of sharks in South Africa

Ebert & Van Hees, 2014 – https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2015.1048730

Pollom et al., 2024 – https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306813

🐠 South African marine biodiversity & environment

Griffiths et al., 2010 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012008

🐟 Catsharks / Shysharks of South Africa – Population status

Natal Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161667/124524866

Brown Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39346/124403821

Puffadder Shyshark / Happy Eddie – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39345/124403633

Dark Shyshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161650/124521775

Pyjama Shark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/39348/124404008

Leopard Catshark – https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/161515/124498131

🦑 Endemic sharks of South Africa

Cliff & Olbers, 2022 – https://sharksunderattackcampaign.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023_01_17_WILDOCEANS-endemic-and-threatened-sharks-species-reports.pdf

🛡️ Marine protected areas & catsharks / shysharks

Albano et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109302Cortelezzi et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115691

📖 Select work on White Sharks from Dr. Kock

Klimley et al., 2024 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-024-01584-5

Bowlby et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X23008622

Towner et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.2989/1814232X.2022.2066723

Towner et al., 2022 – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10078210/

Kock et al., 2022 – https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.811985

Kock et al., 2018 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40462-018-0125-5

Hewitt et al., 2017 – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10641-017-0679-x

🔄 Effect of White Shark absence on other species / ecological role

Dedman et al., 2024 – https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adl2362

👀 Shark Spotters

Shark Spotters – https://sharkspotters.org.za/

Engelbrecht et al., 2017 – https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185335

⚖️ Human–shark conflict & conservation

Atkins et al., 2023 – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X23002956

Sheridan et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104633

Simpfendorfer et al., 2021 – https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.692767

📝 South African shark conservation priorities

IUCN, 2024 – Global Shark Status Report (South Africa) – https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2024-024-En_part_6.pdf