14 March 2019

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) will welcome back the SA Agulhas II, as she returns from Antarctica on Friday, 15 March 2019, at the East Pier Quay, V & A Waterfront Cape Town.

The vessel has for the first time been at sea for 100 days fulfilling its core mandate of scientific research.  On this voyage, the SA Agulhas II was also chartered out to the United Kingdom’s Maritime Archaeological Consultants to undertake the historical Weddell Sea Expedition.

Aboard the vessel will be the SANAE 57 team members who completed 15 months in Antarctica.  The DEA, University of Cape Town, CSIR, Stellenbosch University together with their collaborators from various international research institutes, were also able to collect data, deploy and recover gliders during this voyage. 

Media is invited to cover the welcome ceremony as follows:

Venue: East Pier Quay, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

Date: 15 March 2019

Time: 09:30

For RSVPs and scheduling of interviews please contact Gaopalelwe Moroane on 0825121094 / GMoroane@environment.gov.za

For media enquiries contact:

Zolile Nqayi
Cell: 082 898 6483 /
E-mail: znqayi@environment.gov.za