Part of a conservation mission, the group aims to raise awareness and funding for the study and preservation of indigenous flora and fauna with an open day in April
The Oosterschelde, a Dutch tall ship launched in 1917 as a cargo carrier, is steaming toward Cape Town, fresh from navigating Cape Horn. Restored in 1996 under Princess Margriet’s watch, it is the Netherlands’ largest preserved sailing vessel and a cultural monument. Its past includes hauling freight, hosting Sir Tom Jones’ birthday, and pioneering trips to both poles—a record Captain Gerben Nab calls its “five lives.” Now, as the backbone of DARWIN200, it retraces Charles Darwin’s Beagle route, a two-year mission begun in Plymouth, August 2023, covering 31,500 nautical miles in 545 days.
Bound for the Cape of Good Hope, it arrives in Cape Town and Simonstown from April 5th to 29th, carrying “Darwin Leaders”—young conservationists from Madagascar, Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Israel, and Tanzania. Their task: bolster local efforts in a region rich with ecological stakes. At Two Oceans Aquarium, they will rehabilitate sea turtles. At CapeNature’s Potberg colony, they will monitor Cape Vultures. With Marine Dynamics and Dyer Island Conservation Trust, they will study great white sharks, African penguins, and cetacean populations.
Additional work includes tracking Cape baboon conflicts and cataloguing carnivorous plants, as well as extensive work on the various fynbos floral habitats, and the endangered Cape vulture population.
DARWIN200 aims to train 200 emerging environmentalists worldwide, blending hands-on conservation with public engagement. The ship will be open to visit on the 24 April from 14:00-17:00, with a conservation presentation at Two Oceans aquarium on the 26 April 18h30, and an exhibition of original artworks that will be displayed at the Art@Africa gallery on the V&A Waterfront throughout April. For full sailing details, the ship has its own website: https://www.dutchtallship.com/sailing-trips/
