Helderberg Marine Protected Area

Helderberg Marine Protected Area
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
Helderberg MPA location
Location	Western Cape, South Africa
Nearest city	Cape Town
Coordinates	34°05′S 18°47′E / 34.083°S 18.783°E / -34.083; 18.783
Area	24.6 km2 (9.5 sq mi)
Established	2000
Governing body	City of Cape Town
Helderberg Marine Protected Area (South Africa)

The Helderberg Marine Protected Area is a small marine conservation area on the north-eastern side of False Bay in the Western Cape province of South Africa, It lies between the mouths of the Lourens River in the Strand, and the Eerste River in Macassar.

The Helderberg MPA is in the warm temperate Agulhas bioregion. The shoreline is sandy beach with mobile dunes, and the seabed is low sandstone reef with kelp beds and sand sediments. The areas nearest to the river mouths are in relatively poor condition due to pollution of the river water. The beach inside the MPA is the most pristine part of the north shore of False Bay.^[1]