FOUND A SEABIRD? Contact our 24-hour Seabird Rescue Centres
Cape Town: +27 21 557 6155 or +27 78 638 3731 After Hours | Gqeberha: +27 41 583 1830 or +27 64 019 8936
At SANCCOB Cape Town we are fundraising to build a Visitor Centre, offering a multi-purpose facility on the premises in Table View, Cape Town. This new facility will provide an improved visitor experience but most importantly, will aid SANCCOB to improve its self-sustainability so that we can continue our conservation work and reverse the decline of southern African seabirds.
Donate-A-Brick at R200 and leave a legacy for future generations.
The new development was conceptualised from the need to upgrade SANCCOB’s current education room to accommodate larger groups of learners and have universally accessible ablution facilities, which is currently lacking. Other needs that led to this project launch include a necessary expansion to host training workshops and conferences, and to have a coffee shop and souvenir shop to generate a supplementary income.
The Visitor Centre with new entrance will be constructed adjacent to the existing facilities and offer exceptional views of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Table Mountain, as well as a view of the resident African penguins and seabirds at SANCCOB Cape Town’s Home Pen.
Our Education Department reaches thousands of school learners annually through its formal education programme and on-site school visits from education institutions in Cape Town, and educates young people about marine conservation, recycling practices and how to be custodians of natural resources in their years ahead.
While the all-new education room will be primarily used for hosting school groups and training during the day, it will also be made available for hire to other institutions for conferences, meetings and events on days where no educational activities are scheduled. Funding a project such as this gives supporters the opportunity to make a broad-based impact that will benefit SANCCOB’s penguin and seabird rehabilitation for generations to come. We invite you to be a part of that legacy, where your donation gives today and provides for tomorrow.
Seed funding of R2 million has been secured, as well as pledged funding from committed corporates and trusts and foundations. SANCCOB has a mammoth task to raise R4.4 million in the months ahead to realise its goal and provide a facility that will benefit stakeholders and the organisation’s future income prospects.
Support is also welcome in the form of donations-in-kind to help us equip the facility with modernised learning tools and event equipment for the coffee shop and venue hiring. Connect with SANCCOB’s Resource Development Department to find out more or make a donation online.
“Education is one of the pillars of SANCCOB’s vision to bring the concept of marine conservation into the lives of young people. The majority of children received at the centre via our education programme are Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) and learners from under-resourced communities, so the lessons and setting we provide is truly a life-changing experience. This newest building project was initially part of SANCCOB’s seabird hospital planning and with the hospital now opened since November 2018, we are excited to finally move forward,” says Sharnay Wagner, SANCCOB’s Education Supervisor.
SANCCOB is fortunate to have received pledged support from corporates and foundations, and earnestly need further funding support to realise this goal, together.
WHAT WE DO
SANCCOB saves seabirds

Rescue
SANCCOB provides a 24/7 rescue service for sick and injured seabirds and abandoned chicks. We respond to oil spill disasters along the South African coastline.

Rehabilitation
SANCCOB is recognised internationally as a leader in the field of seabird rehabilitation. We treat 2500 injured, sick and oiled seabirds annually.

Chick Rearing
Our specialist chick rearing unit saves African penguin eggs and chicks that have been abandoned, for subsequent release back into the wild.

Oiled Wildlife Preparedness & Response
SANCCOB works with various stakeholders to ensure authorities take appropriate preparedness action to mitigate oil spill risks off the South African coastline and responds to oiled marine wildlife.

Education
We offer various engaging lessons for children and adults, including tours of the facilities, presentations and encounters with our Ambassador penguins.

Training
We offer 3 and 6 month internships for adults, as well as a zoo and aquarium keeper exchange programme and veterinary experience courses.

Research
Ongoing research increases our understanding of seabird species’ behaviour, diseases and other factors that impact on their long-term survival.

Penguin & Seabird Rangers
SANCCOB employs conservation staff in colonies in the Western Cape that are under the protection of conservation authorities to monitor seabirds, nests and habitats, and support critical research.
LATEST NEWS
On Monday, 23 May 2022, oil spilled into the ocean from a ruptured hose during a fuel ship-to-ship bunkering operation…
SANCCOB’s conservation team spent an exciting week participating in a National Joint Government-Industry Exercise, a preparedness exercise organised by the…
The recently released 6th IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) Climate Change Assessment Report highlights the impacts climate change has…
FOUND A BIRD?
Call us any time of the day or night. SANCCOB is a 24-hour Seabird Rescue Centre and will respond to all seabirds in distress, including African Penguins, Cape Gannets, Terns, Cormorants, Seagulls, Oystercatchers, Albatrosses, Petrels, Pelicans and other marine birds.
Cape Town
Tel: +27 (0)21 557 6155
Tel: +27 (0) 78 638 3731 (after hours & weekends)
Gqeberha
Tel: +27 (0)41 583 1830
Tel: +27 (0) 64 019 8936 (after hours & weekends)
Depending on the nature of the injury and the location of the seabird, we will dispatch one of our own Rescue Units, offer stabilisation advice or put you in contact with the nearest organisation that can assist.
What to do when you find an injured/sick/oiled seabird:
- Please approach any seabird with care – some, such as Cape Gannets and African Penguins, have sharp beaks.
- Have with you a towel or blanket and wear protection over your hands and eyes.
- Throw the towel or blanket over the bird to catch it, ensuring that the bird is able to breathe.
- Place the bird in a large box if you have one, after first ensuring that there are holes for air.
- Keep the bird in a warm quiet place until help arrives