Trip date – Beginning of November 2023
Hout Bay is a cozy little suburb of Cape Town hidden just 30 minutes drive (also on REDBUS route) east of Cape Town’s city center. Formerly a Manganese mining town and now a small charming fishing harbour town sprawled on the valley of Table Mountain National Park is perfect for a short stay away from the chaos of Cape Town. Geographically, it’s in a cove on the Atlantic coast sectioning off a small bay. The cove is guarded by Iconic Sentinel Peak on one side and Chapman’s Peak on the other side.
The town has many homestays/B&Bs with a lot of cafés and eateries all around, a longer stay would have been lovely, but we only stayed overnight at Brightwater Lodge as a launchpad for our road trip down the coast towards Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
Hout Bay is surrounded by mountains so, there is a lot of scope for hiking. It’s 20mins drive away from Constantina and it’s vineyards and Kirstenbosch National Park for a chill day out. There is Hout Bay Museum for the history buffs and markets for shoppers. But we had only a day here and could only do the first thing on our list, watch the Cape Fur seals on the Duiker Seal Island, and also try to snorkel with them. I say ‘try’ because this was our first attempt to snorkel anywhere. Secondly, we had read online that October-November is mating season for the Cape Fur Seals here in South Africa and males may get territorial nipping at the snorkelers goggling at their babes!
Spotting and Snorkeling with Cape Fur Seal
* The only camera which we caried on the tour was our GoPro for it’s waterproof quality. Sooooo… be ready for hardly any photos from this tour. 😦
This activity is best done with Animal Ocean. This small local company has a very professional team and has a huge conservation and educational contribution to sustaining the marine life of the bay. Each trip is made with 6-8 guests 2 guides 1 lifeguard and of course a skipper. The trip is scheduled based on the skipper’s report on how calm the bay is. There are three slots every day and we opted for the morning one. Booking s can be done from their website here.
After changing into special thick wet suites for the cold waters of the bay. We were instructed about dos and don’ts for the tour and then it was time to speed up on a dinghy on high waves towards Duiker Island.
Duiker Island also known as Seal Island is located behind the Sentinel peak and it’s where baby seals and born and nursed till they are old enough to fend for themselves. It’s far enough from the mainland to keep stray dogs away and close enough to be surrounded by shallow water to avoid big marine predators like Sharks, Dolphins, or Orcas. This is helping them re-cooperate their dwindling numbers getting them out of the endangered bracket.
As we approached the island, our nostrils were filled with the stench of the seals. The water around our boat started turning murky green with bits of shrimp floating everywhere. But we were completely engrossed in watching the lounging Cape Fur Seals while our skipper was trying to find a suitable spot to park the dinghy. We were extremely overwhelmed when we spotted the famous Buffel the solo male Elephant seal bobbing in the water between the whitish rocks of Duiker island (no clear picture unfortunately).
We were very vocal about this being our first time snorkeling so they made sure we were accompanied by a lifeguard at all times when we were in the water. Unfortunately, the seals did get territorial, and one of the guides got nipped. The swift response from the team was appreciable. All guests including us were pulled into the boat within seconds and we headed back. After the adventurous trip, we were offered hot chocolate to calm our nerves.
We hardly got a minute in the water to even adjust to the current, it was sad – but hey, that’s the difference between a zoo and the wild. Nature is unpredictable, and we should always be mentally prepared for it. Once back in our guesthouse, the only thing to do was to have a quick lunch and bath and just crash on the bed for a long noon nap. At least for us, the snorkeling session was extremely exhausting and we agreed to just sleep it out rather than roam around too much.
A short drive around Hout Bay
After a long relaxing nap, we were energized and hungry. But first, it was time to watch the sunset from a higher vantage point. So we drove to the famous bronze leopard statue of Hout Bay on Chapman’s Peak Drive. The view from this outcrop of rocks was just outstanding and extremely calming.
With grumbling tummies, we headed to the West Fort area to get a overloaded plate of grilled Hake and chips from Fish on the rocks. We crossed a lot of huge fisheries and warehouses on the way to the harbor.
The Cannons of West Fort are a popular attraction, they point towards the mouth of the cove to protect the bay from incoming enemies.
Regrettably, we missed walking on Hout Bay harbor and beach due to lack of time and honestly, laziness. 😊 Hey, it’s a vacation… remember?
Even though our snorkeling trip was not entirely successful, it was an awesome experience. We overcame our fear of entering open waters and that was a small win for us. As avid birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts, we understand the unpredictability of nature and were completely okay with it. Animal Ocean team tried to refund the booking money but we felt right by donating it to their conservation cause instead. Hout bay might be a small town for a weekend trip, but more you explore more it unwraps it’s beauty. Everyone must surely give it a chance 🙂
Safety radar – While we drove around in Hout Bay, we realized like Cape Town this town too has a more hep area which is where all pricier resorts are near the beach promenade and mainstream avenue, etc… This area seemed a bit safer and more crowded. Our priority was to stay as close as possible to Hout Bay’s main harbor area and within walking distance of the Animal Ocean office around Brighton Street. It has all upcoming and family run guests’ houses and a chilled vibe. It was more residential and our guesthouse keeper/owner had a more personal touch towards catering to us which we liked. They gave first-hand and honest info/guidelines about sightseeing and safety which was most helpful. Overall, just be alert of the surroundings practice common sense and don’t flash fancy gadgets and cash. Avoid too much loitering at night around the harbor and fishing warehouses.
Enjoy our little vlog of the trip here –
To read more about the Hout Bay, Cape town, South Africa – Check this informative website – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hout_Bay
Hope this blog has inspired you to plan your trip to Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa when (you are) on a break!.
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When on a Break! 