Our love and passion for the oceans drives our desire to conserve the underwater environment so that future generations can experience the same wonder that we have discovered.
An intense curiosity for understanding the inner workings of our ecosystem has led us down a path of academia. We study our oceans to better understand how to conserve them.
Above all else, we are driven by excitement and thrill. There is no better way to stimulate passion than to fill our days with adventure.
Cape RADD is a marine field station that serves as a platform for researchers in the False Bay area of Cape Town. Cape RADD is dedicated to advancing marine science education, promoting conservation, and fostering a deep connection between people and the ocean. Our mission is to provide hands-on marine field experience and citizen science experiences, equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to protect and preserve our marine ecosystems. Through research, education, and adventure, we strive to better understand the underwater world and share our passion for the ocean, ensuring its wonders are safeguarded for future generations. Find out more about our story!
Our work contributes towards the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Jessie has always been a wildlife lover and manages the social media platforms for Cape RADD. She is also a budding photographer, freediver and hiker, and is on hand for student needs - ready to assist with trips, travel and anything else you might need whilst on the field course with us.
Mark is a commercial SCUBA diver and marine scientist, currently working on a Masters degree focused on the complex relationships between marine parasites and their hosts. He has experience in animal health, microscopy and marine diseases, with a particular interest in sharks. Mark prefers to be in the water, and also volunteers at the Two Oceans Aquarium as a diver.
Dani says one of the best parts of being in the ocean is that you will always see something new. This is one classroom you can never be bored in. She loves seeing peoples' eyes light up when showing them things they have only been able to see on TV or in textbooks!
Dr Sam Manning is a dedicated conservationist with a diverse career in wildlife and ecological research. Holding a PhD in Wildlife Conservation from Imperial College London, her work has encompassed community-based conservation projects in Madagascar and managing telemetry studies on Amur tigers and leopards in the Russian Far East. Her extensive field experience includes conducting ecological surveys in the Peruvian Amazon and training local researchers, with a strong focus on empowering communities to protect biodiversity. More recently, Sam has integrated her passion for conservation into education as a biology teacher, with the hope of inspiring future environmental stewards.
"I had never actually been out in the field doing field research. I had done stuff in labs and in classes, but I never had hands on experience, so I saw the Cape RADD field course as a perfect opportunity not only to dive but to actually learn how to take data in the field, learn how to ID animals. It turned out to be all of that and so much more... We got to dive a variety of environments, reef to kelp forests to urchin barrens...
It was so amazing because every day I got in the water, I just knew that was what I wanted to do, I just got happier everyday that I went diving..."
“I found out about this course through my advisor and I am so happy that I did because I really enjoyed it...
I got to hone in on my SCUBA diving skills and I got to learn a lot about researching in the field...”
"I wanted to come to Cape RADD to gain more experience in marine sampling techniques, and to discover new ecosystems that I didn’t know anything about and improve my diving skills. I think its mission accomplished for it all.
I would advise anyone to come to Cape RADD.”
In recent years, the monitoring of coral reef health has made significant progress, particularly thanks to the adoption of new non-invasive techniques. These approaches are essential, as they allow scientists to study extremely delicate ecosystems Read more
Let me get something off my chest…. after 20 years of diving around the world, 10 of those years regularly in Southern Africa, and mostly in Cape Town, when people first hear about diving in Read more
We invited ten Grade 12 Marine Science students from Simon’s Town School, to join us for an Ocean Literacy workshop on the 14th of February 2026. It was a day filled with discussions about our Read more
30 March – 3 April 2026 (During School Holidays) Are you always looking for holiday activities that do more than just “fill the time”. How about something that sparks curiosity, builds confidence, and maybe even Read more
Of course, everyone is familiar with the African Big 5. But have you also heard of the Marine Big 5? They’re found across the waters around South Africa. However, the best place to spot them Read more
Launch your dive professional career and take your first step into marine conservation by enrolling in our Marine Conservation Divemaster Internship — where professional training meets real-world ocean education. Cape RADD and Impact Divers are Read more
117 St. George's St.
Simon's Town, Cape Town
South Africa, 7995
+27 79 734 4884
