shelidonNovember 6, 2024Leave a Comment

Second post in the South African notes, following a bittersweet focus on its history (remember? 2.4 million people living in slums), and this time I promise it’ll get less grim. Maybe. And it will have penguins.

2. Nature and Wildlife

South Africa hosts one of the world’s six floral kingdoms, the others being the Holarctic, the Paleotropical, the Neotropical, the Australian, and the Antarctic. Just to give you an idea, less than 0.5% of Africa hosts approximately 20% of the continent’s plant species, with around 9,000 species identified, of which about 5,800 are endemic. The Cape Floral Kingdom stretches along the southwestern tip of South Africa, encompassing a variety of landscapes from mountainous terrains to coastal areas, 9.2% of its total land area is Protected Areas and includes 19 National Parks, 42 Marine Parks, 5 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 27 Ramsar sites and a bunch of Transfrontier Parks. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites alone cover over 550,000 hectares.

The predominant biome is called fynbos, a unique type of shrubland that thrives in the Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and wet winters, so coming from the actual Mediterranean, you’ll have a weird feeling of familiarity and displacement at the same time, with shrubs and flowers looking both very familiar and almost alien.

South Africa is also renowned for its rich and diverse fauna, thanks to varied ecosystems that span from savannas and forests to deserts and coastal regions. What people expect from Africa are labelled as the “Big Five” (a catchphrase for tourists you’ll see in gift shops all around, starting from the Cape Town airport): the African Elephant, the Cape Buffalo, the Lion, the Leopard, and the Rhinoceros. In addition to the Big Five, South Africa hosts around 300 mammal species, from monkeys to wild dogs to leaping herbivores like the Springbok, the Kudu, and the Bontebok. The Marine Big Five includes whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, and penguins.

So let’s see how you can enjoy nature and wildlife in the Cape Town area.

2.1. Table Mountain and the Lion

Table Mountain is an iconic flat-topped mountain that dominates the skyline of Cape Town and it’s strikingly particular, as if someone arrived with a butter knife and levelled its top to prepare it for glazing. And the glazing will arrive: they call it the tablecloth, and it’s a particular cloud regularly forming on the flat top because of the warm currents from the Indian Ocean mixing with the cold Atlantic right in front of the Bay.

The iconic cloud has many legends connected to it, my absolute favourite being the one of a pirate (of course) who challenged the devil to a pipe-smoking challenge for his soul and they’re still at it.

Table Mountain rises approximately 1,086 meters above sea level, with a broad plateau stretching about 3 km in length, and the highest point is known as Maclear’s Beacon: it’s located at the eastern end of the plateau and was established for trigonometrical surveys during the 19th century. You can either climb on top of it or take a cable tray with a rotating floor (there’s a small place you can climb onto in the middle if the spinning thing isn’t your thing, and guess where I was). Regardless of the route you take to reach the top, and even if you’ll find clouds like we did, the route on the plateau is magnifically designed, with panels telling you stories on both the place and the landmarks you’ll be able to see (or not). I highly recommend it as a first-day spot, to give you a general idea of the surroundings.

And while you walk through the shrubs and unique sandstone, imagine Charles Darwin, who visit the region during his voyage on the HMS Beagle from 1831 to 1836 and lost his shit at the area’s geology. Darwin studied the contact zone between the Cape Peninsula Granite and the Malmesbury Group sediments at Sea Point, which is near Table Mountain, and his descriptions provided evidence that granite, an igneous rock, intruded into older sedimentary rocks. This challenged the prevailing belief that granite was formed through sedimentation in water, and eventually contributed to early geological theories regarding rock formation. In brief, the Table Mountain inspired him to realise how Earth is much, much, much older than it was initially believed. Now we know that this geological formation dates back approximately 450 to 510 million years. There are still people in the US, the so-called Young Earth Creationists, believing that Earth was created 6,000 years ago because the Bible says so. I’d like to know where.

Table Mountain is part of the Cape Floral Region, and it hosts over 8,200 plant species, with around 80% classified as fynbos. Notable species include the King Protea, South Africa’s national flower. When it comes to animals, it’s a little too high for anything that isn’t a small insect but some fellows swill venture up here in search for either a good view or food from tourists: they’re the Red-winged Starlings, birds as black as they come, with distinctive rusty-red markings on its wings. And they want your food.

2.2. Penguins!

The Boulders Beach penguin colony, located near Simon’s Town, is one of the most famous attractions near Cape Town and a must-see: it’s home to the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), the only penguin species found on the African continent, and I swear they’re the cutest thing ever.

The beach is part of the Table Mountain National Park and features beautiful granite boulders that create sheltered inlets, making it a perfect spot for these small penguins. The colony began to establish itself in 1982 when a couple of African penguins were spotted. They must have really liked each other, because the colony has grown significantly since then, with estimates of around 3,000 birds currently residing there. The area provides a safe environment for breeding and feeding due to its protected status and the prohibition of commercial fishing in nearby waters. African penguins are currently listed as endangered, facing threats from habitat loss, overfishing, and pollution. Conservation efforts are in place to protect these birds and their habitat, including initiatives by organizations like SANParks and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).

2.3. The Company’s Botanical Gardens

The Company’s Garden is a historic public park established in the 1650s as a vegetable garden for the Dutch East India Company and is recognized as the oldest garden in South Africa. Jan van Riebeeck initially created the garden, back in 1652, as a refreshment station for ships traveling along the trade route between Europe and the East and the aim was to grow fresh produce to sustain passing ships and the growing outpost. Over the years, as the outpost slowly grew into a colony, the garden expanded and transformed: by 1658, it had become self-sustaining, with a variety of crops cultivated. In the late 17th century, Simon van der Stel redesigned it for aesthetic purposes, introducing ornamental plants alongside functional crops.

The Company’s Garden covers approximately 7.9 acres and is bordered by significant landmarks such as the South African Museum, the National Gallery, and Parliament. It boasts a diverse collection of flora, including notable trees such as the oldest cultivated pear tree in South Africa, which dates back to around 1652. Other attractions include a rose garden, a Japanese garden, a fish pond, and an aviary with various bird species.

2.4. Muizenberg Beach

Here there be sharks, and I really mean it. The splendid Muizenberg Beach is located along the False Bay coastline, and it has gained notoriety for its encounters with great white sharks, particularly due to its proximity to rich marine environments that attract these predators. The beach has been the site of several shark attacks, including a notable incident in 2014 involving a surfer.

What’s interesting about this beach isn’t on the actual beach, though: it’s up the hill. In response to the risks associated with shark encounters, local organizations increased monitoring through an initiative called Shark Spotters, people hosted in a special sighting structure and furnished with binoculars, who screen the water and signal the beach if they see a shark. Established in 2004 in response to a series of shark bites, the program employs trained spotters who monitor the waters, particularly during the summer months when shark activity is higher. Spotters are positioned at elevated locations, such as cliffs or lookout points, allowing them to survey the ocean for sharks using binoculars and polarized sunglasses to reduce glare. Each spotter is in contact with a designated beach spotter who communicates directly with the public. But what happens if it’s foggy and you can’t see shit?

The Shark Spotters use a system of coloured flags to indicate conditions:

• Green Flag: good spotting conditions (it doesn’t mean there’s no shark, it just means we’ll be able to see it);
• Red Flag: shark alert; a shark has been spotted nearby (get the fuck out of the water);
• White Flag: a shark is currently in the water; swimmers must exit immediately;
• Black Flag: poor spotting conditions.

And if you’re thinking that the choice of the white flag for danger it’s a bit counterintuitive… well, I think that too.

2.5. Seals

This October I’ve seen more seals than some people see in a lifetime, between here and San Diego. Seals are in Duiker Island, located in Hout Bay, and they are Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus), with estimates often reaching around 7,000 seals. If you want to see them, you can take a boat from Hout Bay, where a guy with his personal seal will try to convince you to give him money to feed the seal and ride it. Don’t.

Cape fur seals are the largest species of fur seals, with males reaching lengths of up to 2.5 meters and weighing between 200 to 350 kg. Females are smaller, measuring about 1.2 to 1.6 meters and weighing 40 to 80 kg. Males have a thick mane and a robust chest, while females have a sleeker appearance with silver-grey fur. Newborn pups are initially velvet black but change to an olive-grey colour after their first moult at around 3-5 months old, but you won’t see them in Hout Bay: breeding occurs on other nearby islands, as Duiker Island’s rough seas make it unsuitable for pups.

After facing significant declines due to commercial hunting in the 17th through 19th centuries, Cape fur seal populations have rebounded significantly since protective legislation was enacted in the 1970s. Current estimates suggest there are around 1 million Cape fur seals along the southern African coast. Despite their recovery, Cape fur seals face ongoing threats from fishing activities where they are sometimes viewed as competitors for fish stocks.

2.6. Chapman’s Peak Drive

Chapman’s Peak Drive is renowned as one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world, it runs approximately 9 km and connects Hout Bay to Noordhoek.

The drive was constructed between 1915 and 1922, entirely by hand and using convict labour, and was initially known as the Hout Bay – Noordhoek Road. It was a significant engineering feat, carved into the near-vertical cliffs of Chapman’s Peak, which rises to 593 meters above sea level. After a rockfall in 1990 led to its closure, extensive renovations were completed, and the road reopened in 2003 under the control of a private company, with ongoing safety measures implemented to ensure its stability.

Chapman’s Peak Drive features 114 curves, providing stunning panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the rugged coastline. The drive is designed to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, allowing for frequent stops at designated viewpoints: from July to November, it’s a prime location for whale watching during the Southern Right Whale season.

The road is also famous to those who study advertisement because of one Christopher White who, one day in 1988, was driving his Mercedes-Benz when he lost control and went over the edge of Chapman’s Peak Drive, falling approximately 100 meters down a steep cliff. Remarkably, he survived the fall with only minor injuries, which he attributed to wearing his seatbelt and the structural integrity of his vehicle. Following the accident, Mercedes-Benz used this incident as the basis for a dramatic television commercial in 1990, in which they boasted the safety of their car. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, BMW launched its “Beats the Bends” campaign as a direct response to the Mercedes-Benz ad that highlighted White’s survival after his accident. The BMW advertisement aimed to promote the handling capabilities of their vehicles and subtly implied that BMW cars were safer and more reliable than those of their competitor, not because they would survive such a fall but because they would prevent the fall altogether. Mercedes-Benz removed an advertisement after it was accused of depicting dangerous and illegal driving, but they also sued BMW for their ad.

2.7. Cape of Good Hope

The Cape of Good Hope was first rounded by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 during his expedition to find a sea route to India. He initially named it the “Cape of Storms” due to the treacherous weather conditions encountered in the area, and his own crew refused to go forward, forcing the ships to return home. It was doubled again by Vasco da Gama, who set sail on his first voyage to India in 1497 and was more successful. The area was later renamed the “Cape of Good Hope” by King John II of Portugal, symbolizing the optimism surrounding the new trade route to Asia.

The cape became a critical waypoint for European ships travelling between Europe and Asia, serving as a resupply station for fresh food and water. This led to the establishment of Cape Town in 1652 by the Dutch East India Company as a provisioning station.

In 1939, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve was established to protect this unique environment. It features a variety of flora and fauna, notably the baboons who will sit around in the middle of the street and bully you.