Beaches & Coastline
"Coast of contrasts" is a cliché, but one that is highly applicable to the shores of the Danger Point Peninsula Area. As a rule of thumb, the shores to the North of Danger Point (Walker Bay) is where the Southern Right Whales hang out and the shores to the East of Danger Point (Shark Bay) is where the home and breeding grounds of the Great White Shark are. Again, as a rule of thumb, the Walker Bay coast is rocky and dotted with caves and cliffs and the Shark Bay coast exists of pristine never-ending white sand beaches. Checking a rule of thumb at any given time will often prove this rule wrong. Bays with pristine sand beaches can be found along Walker Bay and troops of whales might very well float by your side when you stroll along the sand-beach of Pearly Beach.

There is a reason for the name "Danger Point Peninsula" as many sailors found out through the ages to their shock and horror. These coasts are spectacular but wild. The waters are treacherous and the currents very strong. As a general rule one should be very careful to just go into the ocean for a swim. There are however various protected coves and bays perfectly suitable for bathing. Stanford Cove in De Kelders is a traditional safe place to go into the water. At Franskraal, there is a tidal pool and at the outlet of the Uilkraalsmond-estuary many people take to the water. One of the protected bays in the Walker Bay reserve "Die Plaat" is suitable for swimming on most days.

Many visitors often ask whether there is any danger from sharks when going into the water. Since the biology of the Great White Shark has not yet been satisfactorily studied, there can not be an unambiguous answer to this question. What we can say, is that -though every year many bathers go into the ocean to get a refreshing dip- we do not know of any shark-attacks directly under shore in this area. As a rule of thumb (there we go again), Great White Sharks do not attack humans but rather concentrate on their staple diet : the Cape Fur Seal. Very recent research also suggests that the Great White Shark has its mating- and -breeding grounds quite close to the beach. The theory is that when Great White Sharks mate and give birth, the feeding instincts of the Great White Shark are fully inhibited to prevent them from eating their young (and as a co-incidental side-effect would ensure your safety just offshore in the close vicinity of any Great White Shark).

Locals in any case have no qualms of going into the water in places protected against strong currents as they and their ancestors have done for ages. From a statistical point of view you have nothing to worry, but we know that when it comes to animals like sharks and snakes, many people could not care less about statistics and fully fall back to their basic instincts (if homo sapiens would have evolved for 100'000ths of years together with automobiles, we would all be terrified by cars).

In order to decide whether they want to go for a dive in the sea, visitors (especially those who attempted a dive on the west-side of the Cape town coast) regularly ask us about the temperature of the water of the ocean. Unfortunately we cannot even give you a rule of thumb here. The shores around Danger Point Peninsula are the meeting point of the warm waters flowing down from the Indian Ocean and the cold waters from the Atlantic Ocean. Sometimes the west-current is stronger and the water washing the local shores are cold, sometimes the east-current prevails and the sea will have an almost tropical feel.

The several never-ending white sand-beaches between Franskraal and Quoin Point invite for long walks. You will hardly meet a living soul and will mostly have the whole of the beach to yourself (not taking the cape clawless otter, the black oyster catcher and various other shore birds into consideration). The famous Klipgat Trail meanders through and over the cliffs between Gansbaai harbour and Klipgat just outside De Kelders. This trail offers majestic views over the Walker Bay and intimated peeks into the various