Gansbaai, South Africa
By Janet-Lynn Vorster, Cape Town, South Africa. Gansbaai, meaning “Goose Bay”, is just over 2 hours from Cape Town, (162,5 km) via the N2 and R43. It is named after the Egyptian geese that inhabited the freshwater fountain on the farm “Strandfontein” where the present-day harbour is.
Gansbaai is an unspoilt area, and it stretches along the coastline with the Atlantic ocean on one side and fynbos-covered mountains on the other. It feels slightly remote, and yet is only half an hour from Hermanus. It has a relaxed, small-town feel.
Across the bay, you can see Hermanus on the far shoreline. I spent the night at Whalesong, and a whale cow and her calf were wallowing in the ocean right below my window. I loved that room! A prime viewing spot in whale season! From there, I could see all the way to Cape Point in Cape Town!
Gansbaai is home to the marine big 5. Bottlenose dolphins abound and can often be seen jumping across the bay, weaving in and out of the surf. Cape fur seals and African penguins live in colonies on the nearby islands. This is known as the great white shark capital of the world, home of White Shark Diving Company with its shark cage diving, marine conservation programs and international volunteers. Many Southern Right whales come here to mate and to calve, completing the marine big 5.
Dyer Island is a nature reserve and is not accessible to the public. However, there are numerous boat trips that can be booked to view these islands and the marine life around them. Ivanhoe Sea Safaris is regarded as one the leading boat-based whale watching companies in South Africa, and launches from the quaint fishing harbour of Gansbaai.
Dyer Island is the largest of a group of islands, roughly 8 km offshore. In 1806, Samson Dyer harvested the guano (bird excrement) from the island which he sold as fertilizer. This is how the island got its name.
Another nearby island, Geyser Rock, is home to the Cape Fur Seal.
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Globerovers Magazine July 2017
Janet-Lynn Vorster is a numerologist by profession, and journalist, editor and photographer by hobby. She is the proud mother of three grown children and granny to three grandchildren. Janet-Lynn is the Southern African editor as well as Chief Proofreader for Globerovers Magazine.
THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES ONLINE IN
Globerovers Magazine July 2017
For more information about Gansbaai and area, visit the Gansbaai Information Centre at:
www.gansbaaiinfo.com
facebook.com/GansbaaiTourism
twitter.com/GansbaaiTourism