Data Zone
Country/territory: South Africa
IBA criteria met: -
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 3,262,419 ha
Site description (2012 baseline)
This Marine IBA is identified using seaward extensions around breeding colonies. It originates from the South Africa Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and falls within the Atlantic, Southeast FAO ocean region. The site covers an area of 32624 km2 and is 22 km away from the closet coastline. The depth ranges from 0 to 1168 m, with a mean annual wind speed of 2.08 m/s, mean annual sea surface temperature falls between 13.75 and 18.1 °C and mean annual chlorophyll-a concentrations found to range between 0.54 and 28.19 mg/m3.
Key biodiversity
10 species trigger IBA criteria at this Marine IBA. Seaward extensions around breeding colonies; Bird Island, West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands, Dassen Island, Robben Island National Historical Monument, Boulders Bay, Dyer Island Nature Reserve, False Bay Park (proposed), Lower Berg river wetlands, Heuningnes river and estuary system, Rietvlei Wetland Reserve include key near-colony areas for breeding populations of Caspian Tern (LC) 48-82 individuals, Damara Tern (NT) , Kelp Gull (LC) 17891-33992 individuals, King Gull (LC) 12846-0 individuals, Cape Cormorant (NT) 217581-301266 individuals, Bank Cormorant (EN) 889-1231 individuals, Great Crested Tern (LC) 16018-27668 individuals, Cape Gannet (VU) 39300-66810 individuals, Crowned Cormorant (NT) 2205-3054 individuals and African Penguin (EN) 42612-50602 individuals.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bird Island / Dassen Island / Heuningnes river and estuary system / Lower Berg river wetlands - Marine. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bird-island--dassen-island--heuningnes-river-and-estuary-system--lower-berg-river-wetlands--marine-iba-south-africa on 11/12/2023.
