Aug 25, 2026 |
A team of researchers has confirmed the presence of tiger sharks and two threatened ray species in the Techobanine marine sanctuary, within Maputo National Park.
This information forms part of the findings of the second monitoring survey in the Techobanine Total Protection Area, a zone of Maputo National Park dedicated to the protection of sharks and rays, in which 60 samplings were carried out using Baited Remote Underwater Video systems, better known by the acronym BRUVs, a non-invasive technique that allows marine species to be observed without capturing or directly disturbing them, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Mozambique.
The team that carried out the survey was made up of Marcos Pereira, Marcelo Levene and Érica Zacarias, from the Likhulu Foundation, and Acácio Chechene and Jorge Sitoe, from WCS Mozambique, with support from the international organisation Mission Blue.
According to WCS Mozambique, the equipment captured footage of the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), the wedgefish (Rhynchobatus spp.) and the bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma), with the latter two ray species classified as critically endangered and increasingly difficult to observe in their natural habitat. Data from this second round of sampling adds to that collected during a first survey, allowing the organisations involved to build a more complete picture of the seasonal patterns of use of Techobanine by these vulnerable species.
The protection of Techobanine forms part of a broader effort to survey the marine biodiversity of Maputo National Park. According to the Peace Parks Foundation programme, a first comprehensive assessment of the Techobanine reef system, also led by the Likhulu Foundation and supported by Mission Blue, among other partners, had been completed in October 2025, gathering more than one hundred thousand data points on corals, reef fish and marine megafauna across seventeen dive sites.
Techobanine forms part of the Maputaland Hope Spot, a transboundary area between Mozambique and South Africa recognised in 2024 by the international organisation Mission Blue, founded by oceanographer Sylvia Earle, as one of the world's priority marine conservation zones, according to Mission Blue.
Photos: Likhulu Foundation/WCS Moçambique
