Cape Cross Seal Reserve Travel Guide: Top Sights in Namibia, Tours &

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Cape Cross Seal Reserve- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; Namibia; 8 Reviews

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Suggested Duration: 4 hours

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is renowned as the world's largest breeding colony of Cape fur seals, with up to 210,000 seals during the November and December breeding season. Managed by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, sustainable seal harvesting is conducted annually with regulated quotas. The reserve spans 60 km² and was proclaimed in 1968, featuring natural elements like a rocky bay, sandy beaches, and a salt pan within the Central Desert of the Namib Desert Biome. The sparse vegetation is dominated by dollar (Zygophyllum stapfii) and pencil bushes (Arthraerua leubnitziae), alongside a variety of lichens. Wildlife in the area includes brown hyenas, black-backed jackals, and a diverse array of bird species such as greater and lesser flamingos, grey phalaropes, Damara terns, Cape teals, Caspian terns, black-necked grebes, and African black oystercatchers. As one of Namibia's most visited parks, Cape Cross has enhanced visitor facilities, including a walkway for better seal viewing, informative signage, renovated picnic areas, and five campsites equipped with fireplaces and timber-plastic wind shields. While accommodation is available at a private lodge bordering the park, camping options are offered at Mile 72 and Mile 108. Cape Cross also serves as a gateway to the Messum Crater and Brandberg Mountain to the east and Skeleton Coast Park to the north, with certain bird platforms in the park's southern region being closed to the public and no angling allowed.

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Reviews of Cape Cross Seal Reserve

Leonor Gameiro

5
Reviewed: 2024-08-15

Amazing! The fence and walkway were fixed and no seals could enter. Very good conditions. Biggest seal group in the world. Strongly recommended
Leonor Gameiro

5
Reviewed: 2024-08-15

Amazing! The fence and walkway were fixed and no seals could enter. Very good conditions. Biggest seal group in the world. Strongly recommended
Margot E

5
Reviewed: 2024-07-23

Seeing so many seals in one place was amazing! Just be prepared because they really smell—I held my breath the whole time. They're also very loud, but it's so much fun! A must-do experience!
Margot E

5
Reviewed: 2024-07-23

Seeing so many seals in one place was amazing! Just be prepared because they really smell—I held my breath the whole time. They're also very loud, but it's so much fun! A must-do experience!
Anna Tychanowicz

4
Reviewed: 2024-07-02

It's cool to see so many seals at once and so close to you. But, there's always a but - the smell is terrible. My clothes, my hair was smelly horribly, I washed myself as quick as I could. It's also hard to walk among the seals without a mouth covered.
Anna Tychanowicz

4
Reviewed: 2024-07-02

It's cool to see so many seals at once and so close to you. But, there's always a but - the smell is terrible. My clothes, my hair was smelly horribly, I washed myself as quick as I could. It's also hard to walk among the seals without a mouth covered.
Amir Shevat

5
Reviewed: 2024-05-11

Very interesting experience! There thousands and thousands of seals. It's overwhelming sound and smells. If time square was a place for seals, this would be it.
Amir Shevat

5
Reviewed: 2024-05-11

Very interesting experience! There thousands and thousands of seals. It's overwhelming sound and smells. If time square was a place for seals, this would be it.