Smelling like a seal: Cape Cross

Hello, I'm still with the story of Namibia. This time to tell you about a very interesting place near Swakopmund, Cape Cross, the paradise of the seals. We traveled by car from the Strand Hotel. It took us an hour and a half to get there. The tour was along the coast and the desert. On the way we try to pause to contemplate the sunken ship. But we couldn't even get out of the car, because immediately the crystal sellers came out of their hiding places to show us their treasures. A car in front of us was his object of attention, and we decided instead to continue the journey towards the seals. But we took nice photos from the window. 

 

The paradise of precious stones 

Namibia is famous for having precious crystals. On our way back, my daughter bought a Rose Quartz crystal. Obviously there were no vendors. Only tables exhibiting the pieces. The tourist could pay by depositing the money in a small metal box that nobody could move because it was fixed to the metal table. Good method. Although everyone can take them without paying. We arrived at the park entrance. The tourist is greeted by two metal seals. The door leading to the sanctuary. We saw few tourists on the way. We were really only two families and they were already finishing the tour of the beach. Cape Cross harbours around seals. The sanctuary is protected and you have to pay the entrance at the booth near the beach. 

 80,000 t0 100, 000 of Seals 

The first impression when seeing them is surprising. It wasn't cold but I put on a cap so the wind wouldn't ruin my hairstyle. It was a sunny day and the seals' skin shone with its natural oil. Your protection against the cold. The shock of the visit was seeing dead seals on the sand. Few adults, but many babies that did not survive their journey to predatory gulls or other adults that crushed them. But it was so nice to hear them calling their moms as they moved on the beach! On certain parts of the road, seals could get through. The fence was open, but they didn't do anything to us. 

When somebody knows were you went just by smelling  you!

Many of them were under the raised wooden path, sheltering from the sun. On leaving, right at the entrance, a group of seals had landed, making it impossible for us to cross. My husband and daughters got through with no problem, but one of them got mad at me when I ran away. But it was more his laziness to get up than the trouble I gave him. We get back in the car and find our way to the Fish Corner restaurant at Hentiesbaai. A seafood and fish restaurant. When the waitress showed us to the table, she immediately asked us: Did you visit Cape Cross, right? The smell of seal gave us away. 

Luckily our table was outside and almost all the diners had left or were paying. I ate fish cakes. My eldest daughter spaghetti, the youngest and my husband fish and chips. Back at the hotel, the first thing we did was take a shower. When we were ready, we went for a walk along the boardwalk and then had dinner at a typical tourist restaurant, nothing special. The next morning the journey would continue to Windhoek. The last station before returning to Cape Town. I will continue this story next time. Thanks for reading me!