Be Awed By 80,000 Cape Fur Seals On The West Coast

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Along the eerie fog-strewn Skeleton Coast, be awed by 80 000 Cape Fur Seals on the West Coast of Namibia. 120 kilometres north of Swakopmund, the breeding colony at Cape Cross teems with beautiful Cape Fur Seals that lounge about during the days in late October when the males come ashore to compete for breeding territory and females.

The massive males reach up to 2.7 metres in length and can be over 300 kilograms. Be awed by the sight of so many of these maestros of the sea – capable of swimming up to 16 kilometres per hour and diving up to 200 metres into the deep murky waters off the coast of Namibia.

When food is plentiful, Cape Fur Seals eat up to 8 percent of their bodyweight in a single day. The resulting fat insulates them against the cold waters of the Benguella Current that washes Namibia's coast. See the seals jetting in an out of the water, 'purpoising', to increase their travelling efficiency. Scrutinising the behaviour of these mysterious animals is intriguing; 24-hour surveillance below the surface of the water is carried out by the community of seals on the look-out for predators such as sharks.

The pups that ooze cute-factor are born in mid-November to mid-December. Be awed by 80 000 Cape Fur Seals and see the exceptionally cute pups take their first tentative nips in and out of the water in their shiny black fur coats at 6-weeks old – this experience is undoubtedly one of the Skeleton Coast's most awe-inspiring.