The 2000 discovery
On 28 October 2000, mixed-gas divers Pieter Venter, Peter Timm and Etienne le Roux discovered living coelacanths at approximately 104 metres in Jesser Canyon off Sodwana Bay.
Coelacanths · Sodwana Bay · iSimangaliso
Sodwana and iSimangaliso Research
The South African coelacanth story reaches from Sodwana’s reefs into deep submarine canyons within the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area.
Jesser Canyon and Sodwana
A connected marine story
The discovery confirmed a South African resident coelacanth population and showed that iSimangaliso extends from lakes, estuaries and beaches into deep offshore ecosystems.
Important distinction
Coelacanths should not be described as living in the St Lucia Estuary. The South African records concern deep offshore marine habitats.
ACEP and SAIAB
The African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme supports multidisciplinary research through mixed-gas diving, research submersibles, remotely operated vehicles, research vessels, deep-water landers, mapping, acoustic tracking, telemetry, remote imagery and environmental DNA. The South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity has played a leading role in the research platform.
What environmental DNA adds
Water as evidence
Animals release genetic material into surrounding water. Scientists can collect and filter water, then test for species-specific DNA sequences.
2024 study
A Biology Letters study tested an African coelacanth eDNA method using samples collected in 2022 around Jesser Canyon and nearby slopes. Coelacanth eDNA was detected in three of fifteen samples.
Careful interpretation
eDNA detection indicates that the species’ DNA was present in sampled water. It does not by itself count every fish or provide an exact population size.
Scientific references
Explore responsibly
Keep sensitive locations protected and treat the coelacanth and its deep-water habitat as a conservation priority.