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Joan Muirhead Nature Reserve Kenton On Sea South Africa
Kenton-on-sea's Own Public Walk (Swim) -Through Nature Reserve
About Kenton
Kenton-on-sea is a fantastic Eastern Cape and South African
coastal town situated around 2 river systems. Kenton on sea is
almost in the middle of East London and
Port Elizabeth and this
picturesque sea town is on the Eastern Cape sunshine coast route.
The 2 closest major towns are Port Alfred and Alexandria, which are
both 25 kilometers from Kenton.
About Joan Muirhead Nature Reserve
If it wasn't enough to have a beautiful town on the Sunshine
Coast, Kenton on sea's 2 main beaches are protected by a splendid
nature reserve. This reserve is known as the Joan Muirhead Nature
Reserve. Even though the reserve is slowly being built up with
massive houses, the Eastern Cape coastal bush provides a brilliant
back drop to the Indian Ocean. This nature reserve is in-between 2
rivers, namely, the
Kariega River and the
Bushman's River. The
mouths of these 2 rivers mark the boundaries of the Joan Muirhead
Nature Reserve. The marine life, bird life and reptile life is good
in this wonderful watery paradise. The reserve is not very large and
an hour walk along the beach should cover all that's needs to be
seen. Although there are a few trails that go through the coastal
bushveld and over sand dunes, these are recommended if you have
time.
Fishing is also enjoyed by various anglers from all over South
Africa.
Fishing In Kenton-on-sea
As mentioned briefly above, Kenton-on-sea is a superb fishing
destination. The estuaries and rivers are full of many different
species of fish. All types of fishing can be done here...
Exploring the rivers with your fishing rod and bait box is a must if
you love the sport of angling.
Kob, Shad,
Stumpnose,
Rockcod, Garrick,
Grunter,
Mooney,
Sea Barbel and
Strepie are just a few of the fish species you are likely to
encounter. Then try your luck at Deep Sea or Rock and Surf fishing
along the pristine coastline of Kenton-on-sea. From the shore you
can catch the bigger species of fish found in the river systems as
well as
Steenbras,
Stone Bream, Bronze Bream, Musselcracker, Galjoen,
Shark,
Rays, Snapper and
Blacktail. Then if you
have a boat, or you are willing to charter a boat, a deep sea
angling mission is highly recommended. Yellowtail, Shark,
Dorado, Tuna, Skipjack, Bonito and Mackerel abound in the
luscious Indian Ocean waters.
Marine Wildlife In The Reserve
The marine wildlife in the Joan Muirhead Reserve is fairly
common. Looking in the rock pools along the beach you will often
find Eels, Octopus, Starfish, numerous crustaceans,
Mullet,
Blacktail,
Rays and occasionally a
Shark or 2. Further out you can
expect to see Shad,
Kob,
Steenbras and
Strepie fish species. Looking
out to sea before and during December you might get a glimpse of the
following
marine mammals: Southern Right Whale, Humpback Whale, Common
Dolphin and the Indian Ocean Bottlenose
Dolphin. Cape Gannets, Cape Gulls, Terns and the occasional
African Penguin may also be seen, so watch out!
Terrestrial Wildlife In The Joan Muirhead Nature Reserve
 This Kenton-on-sea nature reserve has quite a few land based
creatures that occur on it's shores. Many bird species. The more
common include Plovers, Hornbills, Hoopoes, Sunbirds, Barbets, Doves and
Batis'. There are at least 200 birds in this reserve and many more
down towards the 2 river systems. There are a lot of interesting
insects and reptiles. You are most likely to encounter various
species of gecko, skink and lizard, Tortoise, although you might
(Highly unlikely, I've only ever seen 1 or 2) come across a Puff
Adder. There are quite a few rodents and small mammals in this
reserve and the larger more common land mammals include: Common
Bushbuck, Cape Grysbok, Steenbok, Vervet Monkey, Small Grey Mongoose,
Black Backed Jackal
and Caracal.
All in all the Joan Muirhead Nature Reserve is a delightful place
to visit if you are traveling through the Kenton On Sea or Eastern
Cape coastal regions. |
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