MSC Musica’s recent 2,000 roundtrip nautical mile voyage from Durban to Marion Island almost halfway to Antarctica raised €500,000 (R9.5 million) for the nonprofit BirdLife South Africa, according to a press release.

MSC Cruises partnered with BirdLife South Africa, the country’s only dedicated bird-conservation organisation, to operate the special birdwatching cruise, the fourth operated by the two organisations since the partnership began. 

The 7-night ‘Flock to Marion Island’ voyage saw 2,000 bird enthusiasts from around the world venture from Durban to Marion Island, part of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands belonging to South Africa.

The cruise was operated as part of MSC Musica’s homeporting season in South Africa, during which she has sailed a series of 3- to 12-night cruises from Durban and Cape Town.

“The BirdLife South Africa cruise not only gives bird lovers the opportunity to embark on a once in a lifetime journey, but also and importantly contributes towards the incredible work that BirdLife South Africa does,” said Ross Volk, Managing Director, MSC Cruises South Africa. 

“This is our fourth birding cruise, and we are proud of how far this collaboration has come and we hope to host many more bird enthusiasts onboard in aid of BirdLife South Africa’s conservation efforts,” he added. 

Passengers raised the donation during the voyage, which involved rare birdwatching sessions of Wandering and Salvin Albatrosses, plus several species of Petrels including Southern, Northern, Antarctic and Kerguelen. 

A series of talks and presentations on the importance of conservation by leading seabird, ecology, marine and academic experts also took place onboard. 

Chief among BirdLife South Africa’s priorities is the ‘Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds; The Mouse-Free Marion Project’ that aims to restore Marion Island’s ecosystem and ensure a healthy future for the island’s seabirds.

BirdLife South Africa is collaborating with the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) on the project. A special entity, the Mouse-Free Marion Non-Profit Company (NPC), has been established to implement the plan, which requires upwards of R30 million in bait alone. 

To help raise the necessary funds for this ambitious project, bird enthusiasts can sponsor one or more hectares of land on Marion Island at R1000 per hectare (approximately US$70). 

A “zombie apocalypse” has been playing itself out on Marion Island for over a decade, according to the organisation, as flesh-eating mice massacre vulnerable seabirds, having already laid waste to invertebrates and vegetation.