Hout Bay Harbour Seals

Hout Bay Harbour in Cape Town is a working harbour for tuna and crayfishing industries and is hence home to a vast amount of local cape fur seals residing in the area in hope of an easy meal. I was walking along the harbour and saw two local fishermen sitting on the water edge with a bucket of pilchards and fish scraps.

He next indicated to one large seal to come out onto the harbour edge and unbelievably the seal jumped a good couple meters out onto the paving alongside the water where he was then rewarded with a juicy fish. As the seals ate the last of the fish they dispersed into the water and I continued along the harbour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first residents of Camps Bay were the San (Hunter Gatherers) and the Goringqhaique, Khoi pastorates. When Jan van Riebeek established a refreshment station for the VOC (Dutch East India Company), the 12 Apostles were covered in forests with lion, leopard and antelope.

In competition with the more recent settlers, the Gringqhaique lost their grazing lands on the south east slopes of Table Mountain and in 1657 were restricted to Camps Bay.

By 1713 the number of Gringqhaique population had been reduced by measles and smallpox. All that was left of their settlement was an old kraal (Oudekraal).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Birdlife in Hout Bay

 

World of Birds is the largest bird park in Africa and visitors can view over 3 000 birds and a variety of small animals at this animal sanctuary in Hout Bay. Uniquely presented in a tropical garden setting with spacious landscaped walkways that allow you to enter the various aviaries and enjoy the birds up close and personal this is a paradise for nature lovers and photographers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hout Bay, on the northern side of Chapman's Peak Drive, is a twenty-minute drive from Cape Town. Surrounded entirely by mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Hout Bay offers some 40 restaurants, a wide array of antique and art shops, stalls, a waterfront that is both quaint and commercial, weekend markets and accommodation to suit every pocket and taste.

Hout Bay boasts one of the most active fishing harbours in South Africa. Housed within the harbour are the yacht and power-boat marinas - both popular and convenient stopovers for craft from all parts of the globe. The Bay itself is probably one of the safest sailing venues anywhere, and is also ideal at most times for water sports of all kinds. The mountains surrounding the valley provide hiking routes with breathtaking views. The wetlands around the Disa River support an abundance of bird life.

 

 Hout Bay 1990.

 

 

 

 

 

 Photo. Hout Bay 1990.

 DUNES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 © 2017 Barbara Chodacki. All Rights Reserved.