Rocherpan Nature Reserve
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Rocherpan National Park
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| location | South Africa |
| surface | 9.1 km² |
| Geographical location | 32 ° 35 ′ S , 18 ° 17 ′ E |
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| Setup date | 1967 |
| administration | CapeNature |
The Rocherpan nature reserve is located 25 km north of the town of Velddrif , Bergrivier municipality , Western Cape Province on the West coast of South Africa . The 914 hectare area consists mostly of a seasonal wetland , which usually falls dry between March and June. When the Rocherpan itself is filled, it covers 110 hectares over a length of six kilometers with a water depth of less than two meters.
In front of the nature reserve on the lake side is the "Rocherpan Marine Protected Area", a marine area protected since 1988, which extends 500 m seaward of the high water mark over the length of the nature reserve. From around June to October, southern right whales can be observed from the beach or the dunes.
The combination of land, marshland and sea provides a habitat for a multitude of different bird species. So far 183 species have been counted, of which about 70 are water birds. White pelicans , large and small flamingos , African black oystercatchers are the most famous. For many thousands of water birds, the Rocherpan is an important breeding area and main source of food. In addition to birds, there are also smaller mammals such as duikers , water mongooses and numerous reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. In spring, carpets of flowers cover the country.
history
The nature reserve is named after the farmer Pierre Rocher, who moved to this area in 1839. To have for his livestock in summer pasture enough, he dammed the mouth of the River Papkuils and thereby caused a flooding of the area behind the dunes which the Sandveld separated from the lake. This inadvertently created a favorable biotope for the waterfowl in the area. In 1967 the Rocherpan was designated as a nature reserve.
Web links and sources
- Western Cape Nature Conservation Board: Rocherpan Nature Reserve . on www.capenature.co.za (English)