The Seal colony of Cape cross reserve is located on the Atlantic coast of
Namibia and are the famous the breeding ground for Cape Fur seals who come here
in large numbers, around 100,000 and are a species of sea lion. It is located
53
km north of Henties bay, most famous among many colonies which are present along
the Namibian coast. Diego Cao the famous Portuguese navigator on his second
expedition to Africa south of the equator, erected a stone cross in 1486 when he
visited Cape Cross.
Information about the Seals:
There are two replicas of this cross which can be viewed at the site. The male seals can weigh from 187kg to 360kg and are very territorial while the female seals are much smaller and weigh 75 Kg only. The male seals or bulls are very territorial and have a harem of 5 to 25 females. They fiercely defend their territory and lose a lot of weight in this process, one female seal gives birth to a single black seal weighing about 6 kg after an 8 months pregnancy in the months of November and December.
The mother feed their young for number of months, A significant percentage of these seal pups die as they are eaten by jackals and hyenas (mostly the weak ones) on land and bigger fish like sharks and whales in the ocean. The seals eat lot of fish and seem to be undisturbed by the presence of tourists when viewed from a safe distance.
Visitors must stay in the Henties bay. The seal reserve is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5 PM. Cape Cross is also a reserve for lichens and birds all of which are protected. The seal colony of Cape cross reserve is a good travel and tourism destination.
