Mariner's Wharf, South Africa - Southern Africa: Part XIV

Mariners Wharf, Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

Mariner’s Wharf, South Africa – Southern Africa: Part XIV

Post author:Jesper
Reading time:10 mins read
Post published:2016-11-13
Post last modified:2022-08-16
Post category:English / South Africa / Travel
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Our third day in Cape Town was another morning full of excitement. It was time for a tour to Cape Point, with several interesting sights on the way. There was a promise of seals, penguins, great sights, and a lot more. The first stop was going to be the Mariner’s Wharf and a chance to go to Seal Island.

Seals, Mariners Wharf, Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

A Cape Point Tour with Carlos Links

We had the day before arranged with Carlos Links that he would pick us up at 9 a.m. We met Carlos the first night in Cape Town when we were looking for a taxi from V&A Waterfront. He picked us up in his taxi and during the five-minute drive to our hotel we had time to talk and it turned out that he also did tours in the region.

So after a while of thinking it over, we decided to opt for his proposal. 1600 rand for a day was cheaper than the tour companies and there was much more flexibility with having our own driver. The cost with the tour companies was around 1000 rand per person. None of the alternatives included all the entrance fees to the attractions during the day.

Mariner’s Wharf

Our first stop was Mariner’s Wharf in Hout Bay. From here we were going to take a short boat trip to Seal Island, which lies just a few hundred meters out from the harbor. Once we arrived at the boat we were told that it would not be possible to go all the way to the island. Due to strong winds and high waves, the boat would just leave the harbor and then turn back.

Considering the fact that we were already there, we decided to go anyway and at least get the possibility to enjoy the sight from the boat. That decision was something that Susann regretted later on. We boarded the small ship together with around 10 other tourists. We decided to sit in the back of the boat to get a little bit of cover in case waves would try to get us wet. From there we soon got our first sight of the seals. Several of them were taking cover in the harbor.

The boat continued out from the protection of the wave breakers and it was now that Susann noticed that the waves were a lot higher than she had expected. The boat was really moving up and then down again on the waves. We could eventually see the island in the distance, but it was for sure not safe to continue all the way there. After a few minutes on the open sea, the ship turned back towards the harbor. That was indeed a frightening moment for all, as the waves hit the boat from the side as the captain changed the direction. But it still felt safe as the crew seemed to know what they were doing.

Seal Island, Mariners Wharf, Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

The Seals of Mariner’s Wharf

We did eventually see more seals. Once we were back within the safety of the wave breakers they were peeking their heads from the water. Others were basking in the sun. The crew made sure to get them to come close to the boat so that we all could see them. We didn’t get to see them on Seal Island, but we were quite satisfied with this as well.