Garden Route National Park: Island Lake in the Wilderness Section temporarily closed! [update #2]

update (08 April 2025): The blue-green algal bloom at Island Lake, in the Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park in South Africa's Western Cape, remains active. Recent test results have confirmed the continued presence of the bacteria, which is known to potentially produce harmful toxins. Island lake will remain closed until it is declared safe for public use. SANParks will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide regular updates.

update (19 March 2025): SANParks has confirmed that Island Lake in the Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park in South Africa's Western Cape remains temporarily closed for all recreational activities. This precautionary measure is still in place due to the presence of a blue-green algal bloom, which may pose a potential health risk.
SANParks continues to actively monitor the situation with initial results confirming that the species present are capable of producing toxins. Further samples have been sent for testing.

South African National Parks (SANParks) has temporarily closed Island Lake in the Wilderness Section of the Garden Route National Park in South Africa's Western Cape for all recreational activities. This precautionary measure follows the detection of a blue-green algal bloom, which may pose a potential health risk.
SANParks is closely monitoring the situation while awaiting laboratory results to identify the algae species and determine whether it can produce toxins. Algal blooms in standing water are often influenced by environmental factors such as temperature changes, organic matter decomposition, bird activity, and recent freshwater inflows.