AB Marine Whale & Dolphin watching

10/01/2025

1839: Le Protie, this French wooden whaling brig of 187 tons was wrecked near ‘Farmer Peck’s farm’ at Strandfontein in False Bay in the Western Cape. Commanded by Captain A. Lory Le Protie was wrecked after trying to enter Simon's Town at night on a voyage from Nantes to the whaling grounds with whale-oil on board. No lives were lost....

09/01/2025

1730: Saxenburg (Saksenburg), this Dutch East Indiaman struck a reef and then foundered during a heavy gale off Cape Agulhas/ L’Agulhas in the Western Cape. Of the 88 that were on board, only seven survived. Some sources list the year of wrecking as 1729 and some list the wrecking as on 8 January 1730. This Cape provision ship of 610 tons was built in 1723 at the Amsterdam Yard for the Amsterdam Chamber of the Dutch East India Company....

1730: Saxenburg (Saksenburg), this Dutch East Indiaman struck a reef and then foundered during a heavy gale off Cape Agulhas/ L’Agulhas in the Western Cape. Of the 88 that were on board, only seven…

08/01/2025

1806: Bato, this 74-gun 800 ton Dutch ship of the line was set on fire and scuttled on Long Beach in Simons Town in False Bay in the Western Cape on 8 January 1806 - te same day that the Battle of Blaauwberg began. On the 27th of February 1804, it was deemed unseaworthy, and its use was to be a floating battery in defence of Simons Town for the next two years....

1806: Bato, this 74-gun 800 ton Dutch ship of the line was set on fire and scuttled on Long Beach in Simons Town in False Bay in the Western Cape on 8 January 1806 – te same day that the Batt…

07/01/2025

1846: A strong north-westerly gale claimed two ships and 21 lives in Table Bay, in the Western Cape: Diana, this Portuguese wooden sailing barque of 294 tons had operated as a slaver when it was captured and taken as a prize by the HMS Mutine. It was lying in Table Bay when the gale drove it ashore, wrecking at Imhoff Battery on Woodstock beach....

1846: A strong north-westerly gale claimed two ships and 21 lives in Table Bay, in the Western Cape: Diana, this Portuguese wooden sailing barque of 294 tons had operated as a slaver when it was ca…

05/01/2025

1780: Mentor, this Dutch East Indiaman of 1150 tons foundered on a reef off Cape Aghulhas on the southern Cape coast in the Western Cape. Only two of the crew survived, having been found four days later, clinging to a piece of the p**p deck by the French merchant ship, Le Saloman. Mentor was built in 1774 at the Amsterdam Yard for the Dutch East India Company and was commanded by Johan de Korte. Mentor was on a homeward bound voyage from Batavia which she had left on 27 October 1779.

1780: Mentor, this Dutch East Indiaman of 1150 tons foundered on a reef off Cape Aghulhas on the southern Cape coast in the Western Cape. Only two of the crew survived, having been found four days …

04/01/2025

1821: On this date a north-westerly gale struck Table Bay in the Western Cape, grounding at least five vessels, two of which are confirmed to have wrecked: Emma, this British vessel of 467 tons was wrecked at Woodstock beach. Emma was built of teak in India in 1813. She was commanded by Captain C. Baumgardt and was wrecked whilst on a voyage from Portsmouth to Madras....

1821: On this date a north-westerly gale struck Table Bay in the Western Cape, grounding at least five vessels, two of which are confirmed to have wrecked: Emma, this British vessel of 467 tons was…

04/01/2025

1861: Lord George Bentinck, this British wooden sailing barque of 592 tons was wrecked on Back Beach in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal after its defective cables parted in a north-easterly wind. The Lord George Bentinck was built in 1848 at Sunderland and commanded by Captain George Case. She was on a voyage from New York with general cargo. The crew were saved by means of rocket apparatus.

1861: Lord George Bentinck, this British wooden sailing barque of 592 tons was wrecked on Back Beach in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal after its defective cables parted in a north-easterly wind. The Lord …

02/01/2025

1869: Hopefield Packet, this sailing coasting schooner wrecked at Camps Bay in Cape Town in the Western Cape. The Hopefield Packet was on a voyage to Dyer Island with part of her cargo of stores. 1909: Evening Star, this wooden steam-powered fishing vessel wrecked near Cove Rock in East London in the Eastern Cape.

1869: Hopefield Packet, this sailing coasting schooner wrecked at Camps Bay in Cape Town in the Western Cape. The Hopefield Packet was on a voyage to Dyer Island with part of her cargo of stores. 1…

31/12/2024

1872: Elizabeth Brown, this British wooden sailing snow/brig of 234 tons was wrecked in a south-easterly gale at Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Elizabeth Brown was built in 1854 in Perth, Australia. Her cables parted whilst at anchor in Algoa Bay and carrying 500 bales of wool. No livew were lost. 1872: North East, this iron sailing barque wrecked in a south-easterly gale between the Ratel River mouth and Rietfontein farm in the Western Cape....

1872: Elizabeth Brown, this British wooden sailing snow/brig of 234 tons was wrecked in a south-easterly gale at Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Elizabeth Brown was built in 1854 in Pe…

31/12/2024

1854: Drei Thurme, this 2 masted German sailing brig of 150 tons was wrecked in a south-easterly gale at Struispunt in the Western Cape. Two lives were lost because of the wrecking. The Drei Thurme was built by Lohse, Helsingør (Elsinore - Helsingor), under the ownership of Hertz, Jacob Adolph, Hamburg and commanded by Captain C. Lienau. 1854: Flora, this wooden sailing barque wrecked in a south-easterly gale near Jetty Street in Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape....

1854: Drei Thurme, this 2 masted German sailing brig of 150 tons was wrecked in a south-easterly gale at Struispunt in the Western Cape. Two lives were lost because of the wrecking. The Drei Thurme…

29/12/2024

1841: Sovereign, this wooden sailing schooner commanded by Captain J. Ancker was wrecked at the Knysna Heads in the Western Cape after leaving the Knysna harbour. No lives were lost. 1893: Emin, this German steam-powered ship left Durban in KwaZulu-Natal for Delagoa Bay with a cargo of coal on this day and was never heard from again. All 31 people that were on board were presumed to have perished....

1841: Sovereign, this wooden sailing schooner commanded by Captain J. Ancker was wrecked at the Knysna Heads in the Western Cape after leaving the Knysna harbour. No lives were lost. 1893: Emin, th…

29/12/2024

1811: Clipper, this wooden sailing brig wrecked near the Battery on Woodstock Beach in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Very little is known about it. 1911: Falcon, this British iron steam-powered ship wrecked in thick fog at Green Point at Clansthal in KwaZulu-Natal.

28/12/2024

1794: The São José was a Portuguese slave ship which sank off what is today known as Clifton 2nd beach in Cape Town in the Western Cape. At the time of wrecking, it was carrying 512 enslaved people from Mozambique who were destined for Brazil, during a time when the slave trade between the two countries was just emerging. The ship’s voyage, although unsuccessful in its mission to bring enslaved people to Brazil, was an important precedent for the sourcing of enslaved people from East Africa, something which ultimately contributed to the establishment of the Atlantic Slave Trade....

1794: The São José was a Portuguese slave ship which sank off what is today known as Clifton 2nd beach in Cape Town in the Western Cape. At the time of wrecking, it was carrying 512 enslaved people…

28/12/2024

1890: Pembrooke Castle, this British iron barquentine wrecked in thick fog somewhere along the west coast in the Northern Cape on its way to Port Nolloth. Very little is known about it.

1890: Pembrooke Castle, this British iron barquentine wrecked in thick fog somewhere along the west coast in the Northern Cape on its way to Port Nolloth. Very little is known about it.

28/12/2024

1686: Bonaventura, this 20 ton British wooden sailing ketch wrecked in St Lucia Bay in St Lucia in KwaZulu-Natal. After mistaking which bay they were in as well as the timing of the tides, the ketch ran aground. The crew abandoned it until high tide would refloat it, and it did, but it happened too quickly, and it floated up the river where it wrecked....

1686: Bonaventura, this 20 ton British wooden sailing ketch wrecked in St Lucia Bay in St Lucia in KwaZulu-Natal. After mistaking which bay they were in as well as the timing of the tides, the ketc…

28/12/2024

1860: Underley, this British sailing barque wrecked somewhere between Cape Agulhas and Quoin Point in the Western Cape. 1975: Rose II, this Panamaian motor-powered transport ship was lost due to an explosion off Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape and its remains now lie at a depth of 70m. MV Rose II was built by Canteri Navali Breda, Marghera for Cia Naviera Gianina S.A., Panama City.

1860: Underley, this British sailing barque wrecked somewhere between Cape Agulhas and Quoin Point in the Western Cape. 1975: Rose II, this Panamaian motor-powered transport ship was lost due to an…

28/12/2024

1852: Kingston, this American sailing barque of 214 tons was wrecked at 03h00 on the southwestern point of Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Five lives were lost including the captain's wife and children because of the wrecking. Kingston was under the command of Captain J. Sterling and on a voyage from Baltimore with a cargo of flour....

1852: Kingston, this American sailing barque of 214 tons was wrecked at 03h00 on the southwestern point of Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Five lives were lost including the captain…

28/12/2024

1856: Timor, this wooden sailing barque wrecked in a south-easterly gale between Robben Island and Whale Rock in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Timor was a Dutch barque of 441 tons under the command of Captain F. Agema. She missed stays during a south wind whilst on her voyage from Batavia with a cargo of coffee and tin blocks. By 10 January 1857 112 blocks of tin had been recovered from the wreck....

1856: Timor, this wooden sailing barque wrecked in a south-easterly gale between Robben Island and Whale Rock in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Timor was a Dutch barque of 441 tons under the comman…