“A familiar experience for many South Africans, seeing False Bay and its surrounds through the eyes of a British tourist makes it all more spectacular”, writes Kevin Rushby.
“When asked to name our top three natural wonders, how many of us would consider an underwater option? Compared with dry land, the submarine world usually fails to get a mention. The place where I am diving, False Bay, takes a 30km-wide bite out of the rump of South Africa, right on Cape Town’s doorstep, next to land that is a Unesco biosphere reserve because of its unique vegetation. But few people consider the extraordinary diversity beneath the waves. So far, 11 500 species of creature have been found in this one relatively small bay. Contrast that with the global total of 7 500 species of bird.”
Local wildlife expert Chris Fallows, one of the first to realise the potential of this place, calls it the “Serengeti of the seas”.
Boulders Beach (“a spot where penguins are gathering for the onset of the breeding season”),Kalk Bay, St James and Muizenberg, to Somerset West and the huge uninhabited peaks of the Hottentots-Holland mountains – all get a mention. Visits include Khayelitsha, the Harold Porter botanical gardens and Betty’s Bay.
“On my last day, I drive to Cape Point and walk up to the lighthouse. On the beaches below, ostriches and baboons are picking through the washed-up kelp, the cliffs are sporting ragged pennants of sea spume and the wind is snatching at tourists’ hats. From the lighthouse I can see the entire span of False Bay, surely one of the greatest marine environments on Earth – and a place still waiting for recognition.”
Read the full story: Travel | Mail & Guardian.
