Hundred of seals getting together at Cape Cross, Namibia

The seal colony at Cape Cross in Namibia, is where you will find one of the largest Cape fur seal colonies in the world. The area is protected by the Namibian government. The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is a sanctuary for this colony. During the breeding season in November and Desember there can be as many as 200.000 seals in this rocky place along the Atlantic coast. They have access to lots of fish, brought in by the currents. So it's a good place they have chosen to breed. But it's a smelly and very noisy place. But the sight of hundreds of seals was quite amazing. Cape Cross is only a little more than one hour’s drive from Swakopmund, one of the larger cities along the Atlantic coast. To visit the reserve is an easy day trip from Swakopmund. Or if you are driving along the coast (like I did) it’s convenient to make a stop here.

As you can see, there are lots of pups. The time for pups is from December until June. I was here in May, so I just made it when it comes to seeing all these adorable young pups. They will stay with the mothers for up to six months. It looks as most of them were half sleeping, enjoying the warmth from the sun. It's not always this kind of peaceful atmosphere. There are violent fights between the seals as well. To make a walk among the seals possible, but without getting to close, there is a wooden boardwalk. A necessity if you want to keep your shoes clean. But it does offer many good viewpoints that gave us an opportunity to get close to the seals.

Cape Cross is not only a place to see seals. The place has historical value as well. A Portuguese explorer was in 1484 looking to find the sea route to India. His first voyage started in 1482. On his second voyage in 1484-86 he discovered Cape Cross. This made him the first European to come to this place. Once this part of the coastline was on the route that explores used when they were exploring the western part of Africa.

Even though the seals dominate the area, there are lots of other wildlife. Especially birds like waders, flamingos etc. The seals do have to look out for predators. When the pups are newborn, animals like the hyena will be haunting the place for a meal. When in the sea, they must look out for killer whales and sharks.

Cape Cross managed to establish a settlement in the 1800s. Europe imported tons of guano, which is excrement from birds that was used as fertiliser. Because of that hundred of workers were staying here. Because of the biological and the historical significance, Cape Cross has become a popular place to visit.