Despite the 4 – 5 hour
drive to Damaraland ahead of us, Steph insisted that we take a 1 – 2 hour
detour to see the seal colony at Cape Cross.
Cape Cross is north of Swakopmund, part of the Skeleton Coast (named for
the many shipwrecks along its shores).
Cape fur seals live in large colonies along this coast, including in a
colony of 100,000+ at Cape Cross.
We sped up the tarred road
along the coastline, with the Atlantic bordering us on one side and the desert
on the other. Both the water and the
sand extended as far as we could see into the distance.
Pulling into the parking
lot at the Cape Cross seal reserve, we did not immediately spot the seals we
had detoured to visit. However, upon
closer inspection, the rocks dotting the sand turned out to be the
sought-after marine mammals. A boardwalk
crisscrossed the sand for better seal viewing, but one seal was guarding the
entrance and a few had set up camp on the boardwalk itself.
Thousands upon thousands of others were sleeping
on the sand, chilling under the boardwalk, and frolicking in the ocean.
Of course, we didn’t just
get to see the seals. We also smelled
them – thousands of seals living together in a colony emit quite the
stench. Furthermore, they are not
quietly sunbathing. Seals are fighting
for the prime spot on the beach, mothers are looking for their pups, and many
are off to go fishing. All of this
activity creates an incredible cacophony of sound.
We were amazed by the vast
numbers of seals along the beach and in the ocean. There were seals absolutely everywhere. We observed and took photos for as long as
our nostrils held out. Only mothers and
pups were on shore – the males (bulls) are set to arrive in October and
apparently weight 350+ kg. We were close
enough to touch many of them, but refrained. They probably aren’t as soft and
cuddly as they look, plus we didn’t want to end up with a hook for a hand.
“Loose seal!” – Buster
Bluth
Stay tuned for updates
from Damaraland – there are ancient engravings and black rhinos here!
#stephandgio
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