Seal Island – It’s a crowd!
It’s a beautiful day – The Salty Sea Dogs must be at sea!
And for sure they are! Today our destination is Seal Island in False Bay. Seal Island is 8 nautical miles from Simonstown harbour and it is a 30 minute boat ride to get there.
As we get closer we spot a really small land mass in the distance.
When Seal Island comes into view, we can see that it is tiny! Its only 400 meters long, and 80 meters wide.
There is, however, a big surprise waiting for the Salty Sea Dogs.
A seal surprise, and a SMELLY one at that!
We approach close to the Island, and with our boat bobbing around, Monique, Sandi, Brownie and Lucy peer over the gunnels of the boat … and see thousands and thousands of seals!
But, not only can we see thousands of seals, we can also smell thousands of seals! The smell is very strong, but the Salty Sea Dogs don’t seem to mind, and they take giant wiffs of air, almost in delight!
These seals are in are in fact called Cape fur seals, and they are special because they can only be found in South Africa and Namibia.
Is this a Seal Hotel?
Seal Island is home to what’s called a seal colony. It’s not quite a ‘seal hotel’ but more of a ‘home for seals’.
The seal colony on Seal Island is massive, and is home to 64,000 Cape fur seals. This is the largest island-based seal colony in all of Africa!
On closer inspection, we see that the rocks of Seal Island are packed with seals! It is so jam packed that it doesn’t seem there is a lot of space available. It’s not hard to imagine there are indeed 64,000 seals here.
Why is a colony important?
You may be wondering why the seals choose such a tiny rock for their home. Adult females must find safe haul out areas where they can give birth and take care of their young. They also need to find areas where they are not disturbed by people. This makes Seal Island the perfect spot.
Curious friends for the Salty Sea Dogs
Cape fur seals are very social animals, and not only to they play with their own kind, they are also very curious to see Sandi, Brownie and Lucy.
Equally, the Salty Sea Dogs are very excited to come across new furry sea friends.
The dogs can’t take their eyes off the seals, and the seals in turn keep coming up to the boat.
The seals have a lot to say, and the noise of all their barking is crazy. They even jump and play in the waters right around our boat, and I am sure they are curious of us too!
Paws for Thought – Be respectful to seals when you find them on the beach
Sometimes, seals may haul out onto public beaches. When they do this, they are often times sick or injured, and are probably very stressed being so close to people.
In this situation it is best to be respectful and give the seal a wide berth. You can also call the SPCA to come and help the seal.
It’s good to stretch the legs!
After a long day at sea, the Salty Sea Dogs love to go for a long run on the beach, and give their legs a good stretch! Here they meet up with their brother and sister, Floyd and Lulu!
I wonder what adventures they share in telling …
Until the next time,
Big Woofs from the Waves to you all!
