Swakopmund Cape Cross seal colony Day Tours

3.7 (3 reviews) 5 hours Free cancellation

out of 5

3 reviews

3.7

Explorer Tours seal Colony — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

This four hour tour has both a morning (09.00) and afternoon (13.00) departure.

After picking you up at your Swakopmund accommodation, the tour leaves up the coastal road in a northerly direction. Cape Cross is 130 km from Swakopmund and along the route you will stop to marvel at the extensive lichen fields stretching away to the horizon, east of the coastal road.

Another point of interest before you reach the holiday town of Henitiesbay is the “Free Republic of Wlotzka’s Baken”, some 40 km north of Swakopmund. This self-sustaining settlement of wooden cabins and bungalows on the beach is the haven of many a beach angler.

Once past the town of Henitiesbay, the road leads past expansive salt pans where rock salt is mined and refined. Your guide will introduce you to the intricacies of salt crystals and saline algae, which are found in abundance.

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At a glance

Duration: 5 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 13 people
People per booking: 1–5
Guide: German, English
Operated by: Explorer Cultural Township Tours in Swakopmund /WalvisBay

Ages: Infants (2–6 years) · Children (7–10 years) · Youth (11–17 years) · Adults (18–30 years) · Seniors (60–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Bottled water
Included: Alcoholic Beverages
Included: Snacks
Included: Refreshments

Not included

Not included: Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)

Itinerary

Nande Junia’s Explorer Tours

Passing by

Cape Cross is situated 53km north of the Atlantic coastal fishing town of Henties Bay. The replica of the original cross, erected by Cão at Cape Cross in 1484, as also the site of the original cross, were declared national monuments on 1st November 1968. The 2nd replica of the padrão does not form part of the proclaimed monument.

Many ships were wrecked on this barren Skeleton Coast over the 400 years after Cão landed. It wasn't until 1884 that the first sightings of Cape fur seals were recorded off the coast of Southern Africa, substantiated by entries into the log book of the German cruise ship, the Möwe. When guano, the waste left by fish-eating birds used as fertilizer, was discovered in 1895, people began to settle in Cape Cross. Guano is an Inca word for a mix of eggshell, feathers, decayed corpses and bird excrement. It became so valuable, that it was called 'white gold' and to this day is harvested from platforms off Namibia's coast.
Cape Cross

Passing by

Cape Cross is situated 53km north of the Atlantic coastal fishing town of Henties Bay. The replica of the original cross, erected by Cão at Cape Cross in 1484, as also the site of the original cross, were declared national monuments on 1st November 1968. The 2nd replica of the padrão does not form part of the proclaimed monument.

Many ships were wrecked on this barren Skeleton Coast over the 400 years after Cão landed. It wasn't until 1884 that the first sightings of Cape fur seals were recorded off the coast of Southern Africa, substantiated by entries into the log book of the German cruise ship, the Möwe. When guano, the waste left by fish-eating birds used as fertilizer, was discovered in 1895, people began to settle in Cape Cross. Guano is an Inca word for a mix of eggshell, feathers, decayed corpses and bird excrement. It became so valuable, that it was called 'white gold' and to this day is harvested from platforms off Namibia's coast.

Meeting point and pickup

The operator picks every participant up from their accommodation or the points below.

Pickup points

Hotel Eberwein
Swakopmund Plaza Hotel
Hotel Europa Hof
Swakop Lodge
The Delight Swakopmund
Hansa Hotel
Namport
Hotel Pension d'Avignon
Hotel Pension Rapmund
Hotel Pension A la Mer
Strand Hotel Swakopmund
Hotel Deutsches Haus

and one more pickup point

We pick you up from your accommodation

Using your ticket

Hotel pickups commence approximately 30 - 60 minutes prior to this time

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.