After that last wreck we just kept on moving south until some 120 km north of Swakopmund where we turned off for Cape Cross. This is the place where the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão landed during his journey 1484-1486 (only a few years before this one...). This was probably as far south as he came during that trip and he erected a stone pillar cross here to celebrate the event.
The cross you find here today is a replica of the original one. There are actually two replica crosses. One on the wrong place and with a text in German and then the one you see above which is an exact replica on the original spot. So when the original cross was erected this was the furthest south any European had been along the African coast.
Today there is another reason for coming here.
The Cape Cross is today a protected area – the “Cape Cross Seal Reserve”…
…with the world’s largest colony of Cape Fur Seals.
This is the home for up to 210 000 seals!
Seals are interesting animals…
…and coming close to them…
…studying their postures…
…and facial expressions…
…it is very easy to start seeing…
…some very human qualities…
…in these animals.
The area is very nice and visitor friendly with a 200-metre walkway that really let you come close. And if you get tired of the seals…
…there is also some bird life to enjoy!
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