A Farmer named Pierre Rocher arrived in this area in 1839. To improve summer grazing for his livestock, Rocher and his workers closed off the mouth to the Papkuils river, forcing it to flow behind the dunes that separate the Sandveld from the Sea. Thus, inadvertently, a perfect habitat for water birds of all descriptions was created.
The Papkuils River rises 25km away in the Piketberg. When full, the pan is less than 2m deep, covers 110 ha and is just over 6 km long.

In 1967, Rocherpan was established as a nature reserve and, by way of celebration, every spring the reserve is covered in a mass of wild flowers and all are invited.

The marine protected area was declared in 1988 and streches 500m seawards of the high water mark for the length of the nature reserve. Rare and endangered black oystercatchers flying sorties against raiders from the clan of the kelp gull is just one of the avian observations to be made along this coast. From about June to September, southern right whales can be seen from anywhere along the beach, although the dunes offer a better view.

Rocherpan and birding are synonymous. The combination of land, vlei and marine environments provide habitat for a variety of birds. Pelicans and flamingoes are often seen at the pan and are listed in the Red Data book for birds. The pan is also one of the Cape shoveller's important breeding and moulting sites. A checklist of the 183 species recorded at Rocherpan is available at the interpretation centre.

Getting There: Rocherpan lies 25km north of Velddrif on the coastal road. Enquiries and bookings: Tel: 022-931 2900 Fax: 022-931 2913 E-mail: Portervill@cnc.org.za Foto's by Britt Nussey

This area of 263 ha was proclaimed a nature reserve in December 1973. It lies about 20Km north-west of Vredenburg. The well-known Tietiesbaai Holiday resort is situated in this area. The vegetation is typically West Coast Strandveld and is a mixture between coastal fynbos and Karoo succulents. There is a wide variety of birds like seagulls, cormorants, sacred ibis, "strandlopers" and many more. During August and September one can observe the beautiful flowers. Whales and dolphins are regular visitors. Getting there: About 4km from Paternoster Enquiries and bookings: Phone : 022 752 2718 Top of Page

West Coast National Park Nature Reserve Photos from "Lagoon" by Arne and Pat Schaefer. The West Coast National Park, which was proclaimed in 1985, represents a unique niche in the conservation programme of the National Parks in South Africa. It is one of the few coastal National Parks in the country. As a wetland it is of international importance as it is the end point of wading birds' migration routes from the Arctic. The park presently consists of the bird islands, Juttend, Malgas, Schaapen and Marcus, the whole lagoon area south of Langebaan, a large portion of the Postberg Peninsula as well as a steadily growing number of farms between the R27 (West Coast Road) and the sea, as far south as Yzerfontein. The area surrounding the Langebaan Lagoon is unique in that traces of prehistoric life have been found, for a period starting about 20 milliom years ago right up to present times. Most of the earlier deposits which have been uncovered to date are outside the park, but many remains from the later periods exist within the boundaries and await discovery and study. The core of the park is the Langebaan Lagoon. It has no river flowing into it and is almost empty twice a day, only to be fed again by the plancton rich waters of the cold Benguala stream. Limited activity such as canoeing and sailing is allowed on the lagoon which is part of the reserve. The park is widely know for it's variety of birds including the Black Shouldered Kite, the Cape Francolin, African Black Oystercatcher, the Whitefronted Plover, the Kelp Gull and many, many more. The Postberg section of the park is open to the general public during the months of August and September, when world famous displays of wild flowers are at their best. The bird Islands are breeding colonies for penquins, gannets, cormorants, gulls and oystercatchers, among others. Back to Top