At Morukuru Family De Hoop, every tide tells a new story – luckily, our marine guides are fluent in the ocean’s language. These storytellers handle everything from spotting Southern Right whales to gently turning over seaweed in quiet rock pools to uncover rare treasures.
It’s one thing to visit De Hoop Nature Reserve. It’s something completely different to see it through their eyes.
Let us introduce you to the warm-hearted humans behind your marine and fynbos adventures, certain to turn every walk, paddle, and shoreline pause into a cherished memory.
These guides are interpreters of a world few know intimately… whether they’re spotting the first fluke of a migrating whale or kneeling eyeball-to-seagrass with a wide-eyed child. They help us pause, look closer, and breathe deeper. They show us the coast through stories, science, and soul, reading the ocean like a well-loved book… and they can’t wait to share its next chapter with you.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog about the rockpools in more detail.
Corné Lamprecht - Manager, Morukuru Beach Lodge | Senior Guide
“A beachboy, always,” Corné says with a grin. Having called Morukuru Family De Hoop home for over seven years, Corné has seen the place grow and evolve – from the opening of Morukuru Beach Lodge to the launch of Bites Beach Café. But one thing’s never changed: the reserve mesmerises him daily. “If I had to choose one most memorable guiding moment... well, I can’t,” he says. “Every day offers at least one.” But he does recall a day of pure gratitude: the reopening after the COVID-19 lockdowns. “Welcoming our first guests back, being able to connect, to guide, to share. That was purpose returning. That was magic.” From tracking Galjoen (the national fish of South Africa) to identifying rays, abalone, and the elusive Mermaid’s Purse (a shark’s egg case that once spanned his entire palm), Corné finds joy in every tide shift. For him, the ocean is both a classroom and a cradle of connection. “What we have here in De Hoop Nature Reserve is unmatched,” he says. “To share it, to protect it, is a privilege that gets renewed every morning when the light hits the water just right.”
Jaco du Plessis - Manager, Morukuru Beach Lodge | Marine & Nature Guide
With a résumé that fuses safari savannas, rehabilitated game farms, and vegetated dune forests, Jaco du Plessis brings both insight and curiosity to every exploratory outing at the reserve. Joining Morukuru Family two years ago, Jaco swapped bushveld for beach reefs, determined to master the fynbos region and all the wild detail it yields. “I love discovering the quiet things – the unnoticed clues left by nature,” he says. “The more we understand, the more deeply we connect, and the better stewards we can be.” Jaco’s guiding style is less ‘lecture’, more ‘let’s figure it out together’. Marine life fascinates him – especially octopuses, which have delivered some of his most memorable sightings, such as watching one shift colour and texture while preparing to pounce on an unsuspecting crab. Did you know that during April and May, De Hoop Nature Reserve reveals a rare marvel? “The Paper Nautilus isn’t a nautilus at all, but a species of octopus,” Jaco explains. “The female crafts an intricate calcium shell to lay and carry her eggs (nearly 170,000 of them) as she floats along, catching air bubbles to help her drift. It’s nature’s hot-air balloon ride, and it happens right off our coast.”
Seamus Kay - Manager, Morukuru Ocean House | Guide
Meet Seamus: thicket-trained, marine-certified, and lover of all things unexpectedly weird. Though he once guided on a Big Five reserve, his path led him to the fynbos and tidal zones of De Hoop Nature Reserve – a place that more than satisfies his appetite for ecological intrigue. “For me, it’s all about surprise and delight,” Seamus says. “Getting someone excited about a nudibranch – that’s my superpower.” A moment he’ll never forget? New Year’s Eve under moonlight, with torches illuminating rock pools during a late-night beach walk. “We saw four octopuses hunting – each one different in how it moved, chose prey, and camouflaged itself. It felt like watching theatre written by Poseidon.” But when it comes to rock pool favourites, the nudibranch (a soft-bodied mollusc) always wins. With neon colours and chemical defences borrowed from their prey, they’re part scavenger, part superhero. “Guests lose their minds when they find one,” Seamus laughs. “And so do I.”
Hilton Mahachi - Junior Marine Guide
Born near Harare, Hilton Mahachi brings savanna roots, big vision, and a philosophical outlook to his work at De Hoop Nature Reserve. “Nature teaches us to be aware of being aware,” Hilton says. “It’s about patience, respect, and calm presence.” Drawn to guiding as a way to connect people with the living world around them, Hilton believes curiosity and communication are the bridge between understanding and conservation. “The best moments are when guests spot something before I do… when they see with their own eyes, not just through mine.” One moment that stuck with him? A heartfelt thank-you note from a six-year-old guest who marvelled at marine life and insisted on sending her favourite ‘teacher’ a drawing and message of appreciation. “That was a future conservationist in the making,” he beams. Hilton’s reflections are often poetic, and his knowledge always tangible. Whether introducing guests to Khoi history on the coastlines or pointing out colourful tide pool communities, Hilton reminds us that nature speaks – if you listen. “Sometimes a plant says more than a paragraph,” he adds. “Even the sun plays a part.”
Marizelle Grobler - Junior Marine Guide
“Technically, I owe this job to my uncle,” Marizelle laughs, “but becoming a guide here has been absolutely life-changing.” Her spark was ignited through Morukuru Family’s mentorship programme, and in just over a year, she’s gone from intrigued observer to an insightful and passionate marine ambassador. “I love the moment when something small and unassuming – like a tiny tentacle from a rock crevice – suddenly becomes a whole octopus discovery!” she shares. That very moment was also the highlight of her first solo marine walk. “I was so excited, I nearly fell into the pool, but the smiles I got from the guests made it all unforgettable.” Marizelle’s favourite fact to share? The callosities (the rough, white patches on Southern Right whales’ heads) are as unique as fingerprints. “It’s how researchers ID them. Imagine recognising a 50-ton visitor year after year, just by the marks on their face.” And her best piece of advice when exploring the rock pools? “Be gentle with algae. That seaweed may be hiding a shy sea hare, which can release purple ink like an underwater magic trick.”
These guides are interpreters of a world few know intimately… whether they’re spotting the first fluke of a migrating whale or kneeling eyeball-to-seagrass with a wide-eyed child. They help us pause, look closer, and breathe deeper. They show us the coast through stories, science, and soul, reading the ocean like a well-loved book… and they can’t wait to share its next chapter with you.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog about the rockpools in more detail.
