The Cape Cross Seal Colony

The Cape Cross seal colony is about 2 hours drive from Swakopmund and is one of 16 cape fur seal breeding colonies in Namibia. The seal population fluctuates between 80 000 to 260 000 individuals mostly due to the abundant fish supply in the nearby waters. Male Fur Seals weigh between 187 - 360kgs and can become very territorial especially when watching over their females. The big bulls or 'beachmasters' stake out their territory and fight for the females in mid to late October and the females then give birth to the pups in November or early December the next year. The huge population of seals is an awesome sight to see and it is great fun to watch them in their natural surroundings. Visitors to the colony also aid in protecting the seals from local fishermen who wish to cull numbers because of their threat to the fish. The Seal colony is open daily and can be accessed by driving north on the C34 from Swakopmund. Visitors may choose not to stay for too long as the guano-like smell can be extremely overwhelming. The cross at the colony is a replica of the one erected in 1485 by Diego Cão to mark his achievement in reaching such a southern point on the western African coast.