{"id":297147,"date":"2026-02-18T12:23:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T10:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/?p=297147"},"modified":"2026-02-18T12:24:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T10:24:16","slug":"antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/","title":{"rendered":"Antarctic traveller graces Strand Beach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Locals were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter early on Tuesday 17 February as a young, white crabeater seal hauled out on the sands of Strand Beach for a well-earned rest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visitor, estimated to be about one year old, drew a crowd of curious onlookers, but safety remained the top priority. Securite Public Safety officers arrived promptly, providing essential support to manage the scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This particular youngster appeared to be in good health and was just resting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lisa Starr of Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement (Hoam) as well as volunteers of Hout Bay Seal Rescue was also on hand to monitor the seal and ensure the public kept a respectful distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite their name, crabeater seals are Antarctic natives and are incredibly rare visitors to the South African coastline. In the last 70 years only about 35 individuals have been recorded in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This particular youngster appeared to be in good health. According to Starr, the seal was vaccinated against rabies and tagged by the Two Oceans Aquarium later during the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The seal was not injured; she was simply resting until she was ready to head back into the water,” Starr explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The successful monitoring of the seal was a team effort.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The traveller eventually bid farewell to Strand, slipping back into the surf just after 14:00. “Where she will next haul out is a mystery!” Starr added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While these seals are the most abundant large mammals on Earth \u2014 with populations between 2 and 10 million in the Antarctic \u2014 their lives remain a mystery due to their isolated habitat. Interestingly, their name is a bit of a historical blunder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not crabs, but krill:<\/strong> They don\u2019t eat crabs at all. They feed on Antarctic krill using specialised, multi-lobed teeth that act as a sieve to trap the tiny shrimp-like creatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dangerous journey:<\/strong> While this visitor left safely, the trek north is often perilous. Far from their icy home, these seals can accidentally ingest large amounts of sand while trying to feed. This often leads to fatal complications like colic, a reminder of why monitoring these “vagrants” is so critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The seal was tagged and vaccinated by Two Oceans Aquarium. Photo: Lisa Starr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The successful monitoring of the seal was a team effort. Starr expressed deep gratitude for the ongoing support of Securite Public Safety, whose quick response helped keep both the public and the wildlife safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts remind the public that if they encounter a seal or any marine wildlife, they should stay at least 30 metres away. This gives the animal the space it needs to rest without stress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Locals were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter early on Tuesday 17 February as a young, white crabeater seal hauled out on the sands of Strand Beach for a well-earned rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":297148,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"73","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"30","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"90","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"3","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"1","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"1","article_feature_type":"normal","article_main_image_caption":"Lisa Starr of Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement looks at the majestic seal whilst barricading the immediate surrounds. Photo: Yaseen Gaffar","article_media_icon":"1","article_template":"news","author_byline":"Yaseen Gaffar","background_color":"","block_editor":"1","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"Antarctic traveller graces Strand Beach","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"ONLINE_YGseal","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":["ONLINE_YGseal_P1","ONLINE_YGseal_P2","ONLINE_YGseal_P3","ONLINE_YGseal_P4"],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[9303,9304,9162,91],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-297147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-crabeater-seal","tag-helderberg-ocean-awareness-movement","tag-strand-beach","tag-top"],"yoast_head":"\nCrabeater Seal in Strand: A Rare Encounter | DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Witness the rare sight of a crabeater seal in Strand, as locals enjoy this unique wildlife encounter on the beach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Antarctic traveller graces Strand Beach\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Witness the rare sight of a crabeater seal in Strand, as locals enjoy this unique wildlife encounter on the beach.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/districtmail\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-18T10:23:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-18T10:24:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Yaseen Gaffar\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@district_mail\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@district_mail\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a2d643edb30d8c9b5b3d47ab5d6f934e\"},\"headline\":\"Antarctic traveller graces Strand Beach\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-18T10:23:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-18T10:24:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":431,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Crabeater Seal\",\"Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement\",\"Strand beach\",\"Top\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/\",\"name\":\"Crabeater Seal in Strand: A Rare Encounter | DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-18T10:23:04+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-18T10:24:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"Witness the rare sight of a crabeater seal in Strand, as locals enjoy this unique wildlife encounter on the beach.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"Lisa Starr looks at the majestic seal. Photo: Yaseen Gaffar\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Antarctic traveller graces Strand Beach\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/\",\"name\":\"District Mail & Helderberg Gazette\",\"description\":\"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"District Mail & Helderberg Gazette\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/district-mail-site-icon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/district-mail-site-icon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"District Mail & Helderberg Gazette\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/districtmail\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/district_mail\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/distrikspos\\\/\"],\"description\":\"DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette has been the heartbeat of the Helderberg for nine decades. DistrictMail was established as a newspaper in 1928, with the goal of keeping the communities it serves informed. Helderberg Gazette was founded in 1998, as a free title distributed to the same communities.\",\"email\":\"districtmail@novusmedia.com\",\"telephone\":\"+27218530211\",\"legalName\":\"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd\",\"foundingDate\":\"2025-01-01\",\"vatID\":\"4100318916\",\"taxID\":\"2000\\\/018234\\\/07\",\"numberOfEmployees\":{\"@type\":\"QuantitativeValue\",\"minValue\":\"51\",\"maxValue\":\"200\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a2d643edb30d8c9b5b3d47ab5d6f934e\",\"name\":\"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/40b8a06b228a6e4c9fc59fa596cafeff73f94d283340e109c8224bcfefe7872f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/40b8a06b228a6e4c9fc59fa596cafeff73f94d283340e109c8224bcfefe7872f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/40b8a06b228a6e4c9fc59fa596cafeff73f94d283340e109c8224bcfefe7872f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/novanews.co.za\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/author\\\/districtmailhelderberg\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Crabeater Seal in Strand: A Rare Encounter | DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette","description":"Witness the rare sight of a crabeater seal in Strand, as locals enjoy this unique wildlife encounter on the beach.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Antarctic traveller graces Strand Beach","og_description":"Witness the rare sight of a crabeater seal in Strand, as locals enjoy this unique wildlife encounter on the beach.","og_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/","og_site_name":"DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/districtmail\/","article_published_time":"2026-02-18T10:23:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-02-18T10:24:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Yaseen Gaffar","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@district_mail","twitter_site":"@district_mail","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/"},"author":{"name":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#\/schema\/person\/a2d643edb30d8c9b5b3d47ab5d6f934e"},"headline":"Antarctic traveller graces Strand Beach","datePublished":"2026-02-18T10:23:04+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-18T10:24:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/"},"wordCount":431,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg","keywords":["Crabeater Seal","Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement","Strand beach","Top"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/","name":"Crabeater Seal in Strand: A Rare Encounter | DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg","datePublished":"2026-02-18T10:23:04+00:00","dateModified":"2026-02-18T10:24:16+00:00","description":"Witness the rare sight of a crabeater seal in Strand, as locals enjoy this unique wildlife encounter on the beach.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"Lisa Starr looks at the majestic seal. Photo: Yaseen Gaffar"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/antarctic-traveller-graces-strand-beach\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Antarctic traveller graces Strand Beach"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#website","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/","name":"District Mail & Helderberg Gazette","description":"To Inform, Engage and Empower Local Communities","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#organization","name":"District Mail & Helderberg Gazette","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/district-mail-site-icon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/district-mail-site-icon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"District Mail & Helderberg Gazette"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/districtmail\/","https:\/\/x.com\/district_mail","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/distrikspos\/"],"description":"DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette has been the heartbeat of the Helderberg for nine decades. DistrictMail was established as a newspaper in 1928, with the goal of keeping the communities it serves informed. Helderberg Gazette was founded in 1998, as a free title distributed to the same communities.","email":"districtmail@novusmedia.com","telephone":"+27218530211","legalName":"Novus Media (Pty) Ltd","foundingDate":"2025-01-01","vatID":"4100318916","taxID":"2000\/018234\/07","numberOfEmployees":{"@type":"QuantitativeValue","minValue":"51","maxValue":"200"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/#\/schema\/person\/a2d643edb30d8c9b5b3d47ab5d6f934e","name":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40b8a06b228a6e4c9fc59fa596cafeff73f94d283340e109c8224bcfefe7872f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40b8a06b228a6e4c9fc59fa596cafeff73f94d283340e109c8224bcfefe7872f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40b8a06b228a6e4c9fc59fa596cafeff73f94d283340e109c8224bcfefe7872f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette"},"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/author\/districtmailhelderberg\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_0912_96305.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":54061,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/seal-succumbs-to-stress-20231024-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":297147,"position":0},"title":"Seal succumbs to stress","author":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","date":"25 October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A seal that for months visited Strand Beach and earned the affection of the community tragically died due stress as a result of public harassment, last Thursday (19 October). According to the City of Cape Town, after days of repeated harassment by members of the public on Strand Beach, an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":83154,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/seal-succumbs-to-stress-20231024-3-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":297147,"position":1},"title":"Seal succumbs to stress","author":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","date":"25 October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A seal that for months visited Strand Beach and earned the affection of the community tragically died due stress as a result of public harassment, last Thursday (19 October). According to the City of Cape Town, after days of repeated harassment by members of the public on Strand Beach, an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":54169,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/seal-succumbs-to-stress-20231024-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":297147,"position":2},"title":"Seal succumbs to stress","author":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","date":"25 October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A seal that for months visited Strand Beach and earned the affection of the community tragically died due stress as a result of public harassment, last Thursday (19 October).","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":83228,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/seal-succumbs-to-stress-20231024-2-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":297147,"position":3},"title":"Seal succumbs to stress","author":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","date":"25 October 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A seal that for months visited Strand Beach and earned the affection of the community tragically died due stress as a result of public harassment, last Thursday (19 October).","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cb44a921ae6e4c3088010e674a871823.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":154279,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/school\/some-good-ol-beach-clean-fun\/","url_meta":{"origin":297147,"position":4},"title":"Some good ol’ beach-clean fun!","author":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","date":"2 April 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Generation School and False Bay High School learners participated in educational beach clean-ups organised by the Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement (Hoam) at Strand Beach.","rel":"","context":"In "Lifestyle"","block_context":{"text":"Lifestyle","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/lifestyle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9124_19297.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9124_19297.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9124_19297.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9124_19297.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9124_19297.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":154697,"url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/school\/little-ones-roll-up-their-sleeves-for-a-worthy-cause\/","url_meta":{"origin":297147,"position":5},"title":"Little ones roll up their sleeves for a worthy cause","author":"District Mail and Helderberg Gazette","date":"9 April 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Kids Company Montessori Integrated Preschool teamed up with Natural Energy Surf Store, Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement (HOAM) and Drum for Life as they hosted a beach clean-up and family picnic on Friday 28 February.","rel":"","context":"In "Community"","block_context":{"text":"Community","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YGclean1_88258.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YGclean1_88258.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YGclean1_88258.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YGclean1_88258.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/YGclean1_88258.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=297147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/297147\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=297147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=297147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=297147"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=297147"},{"taxonomy":"publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/districtmailhelderberg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication?post=297147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}