Dear all Marmam readers The government in South Africa has approved the construction of a nuclear power plant station at Perly Beach, close to Kleinbaai, South Africa (2 1/2 hours drive from Cape Town). The waters around Perly beach is one of the main mating and nursing areas of the Southern right whale and a feeding and probably nursing area of a small group of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. It is also an important area (maybe mating area) for the great white sharks, which are here year round. About 6000 South African penguins are nesting at Dyer Island which is just of the coast of Pearly beach. Just behind Dyer Island is a colony of about 60.000South African fur seals. Some of you might even have been here in Kleinbaai during the SMM conference participating on a whale watching or shark cage diving tour. The current plan of constructing the nuclear power station does anticipate having environmental approval from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism by February 2009. That is why we ask for your assistance and knowledge. We are concerned about which impacts a nuclear power plant station can have on the marine mammals and the marine life in general. The cool water from the bay will be used to cool of the reactors and the hot water will be pumped out again. We are interested in studies, links or other documentation which can clarify the facts about this situation. Please reply to: chivell2@isales.co.za and zoovisions@gmail.com Thank you in advance Wilfred Chivell & Katja Vinding Petersen Dyer Island Cruises www.dyer-island-cruises.co.za/ More info about the area and the planned nuclear power station: www.danger-point-peninsula.co.za/pearly_beach.shtml www.satelliteviews.net/cgi-bin/w.cgi?c=sf&UF=-1209137&UN=-1775676&DG=RKS www.pearlybeachonline.co.za/ www.eskom.co.za/live/content.php?Item_ID=5981 www.eskom.co.za/nuclear_energy/siting_programme/bantamsklip.html