Dassen Island

Dassen Island was named in 1601 by Dutch explorer Joris van Spilbergen after the dassies (rock hyraxes) that once thrived there. Early accounts describe the island as covered with dense, two-meter-tall vegetation that was riddled with burrows where penguins bred in abundance.

Exploitation of Natural Resources

In the mid-1800s, Dassen Island’s guano was mined extensively for use in fertilizers. This was followed by the exploitation of African penguin eggs, collected for public consumption from 1870 to 1967. At its peak in 1919, nearly 600,000 fresh eggs were taken in a single season. with an estimated 13 million eggs taken between 1900 and 1930. The penguin population was estimated at 400,000 during that time and has since plummeted to near-extinction levels. Penguin numbers have declined sharply, from an estimated one million in the early 20th century to just 8,000. Years of guano scraping deprived penguins of vital nesting material.  While these practices have ceased, overgrazing by introduced wild rabbits continues to damage the island’s vegetation.

Conservation Efforts

Today, Dassen Island is a proclaimed nature reserve and the first South African inshore island to release a public conservation plan. With restricted access, it serves as a vital sanctuary for endangered seabirds, including the African penguin.

Pollution

The 1994 sinking of the Apollo Sea. A bulk ore carrier near Dassen Island and the resultant oil spill caused environmental damage to the island and threatened its penguin population.

Geography and Present Day

Dassen Island spans 3.1 km in length and 1 km in width, covering 2.73 km². Its flat terrain features narrow white beaches and a small jetty, with no permanent human inhabitants. Once an outpost of the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century, its historical exploitation stands in stark contrast to its current role as a refuge for vulnerable species.

Efforts to protect Dassen Island’s fragile ecosystem highlight the importance of conservation in addressing the consequences of human activity.

Check the tides here

-33°25’13.79″ S 18°05’3.00″ E