Gansbaai

Gansbaai Shark diving and Whale watching

Gansbaai nestles at the foot of Dynefontein Mountains, and boasts a beautiful coastline with magnificent "fynbos" vegetation. In 1881, Johannes Cornelis Wessels, an 18 year old fisherman, walked all the way across the dunes from Stanford to Gansbaai (bay of geese), named after a colony of Egyptian geese that used to nest in the area.

Fishing was so good that he decided to settle here in a hut from stone, daub and reeds. Today, along with the fishing industry, Gansbaai has grown into a charming village and holiday resort with a school, churches of various denominations and shops to provide for every need. Fish shops are stocked with fresh catches daily. Gansbaai is a popular holiday resort for fishing and diving enthusiasts.

Accommodation in Gansbaai

• Farm 215
• Klein Paradijs Country House

Gansbaai Shark diving and Whale watching

Gansbaai is world renown as one of the best locations for shark diving and whale watching. The Atlantic waters of the Western Cape coastline, between the towns of Hermanus and Cape LAgulhas (the most southern tip of Africa), is well visited by the SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES and the GREAT WHITE SHARKS, the BIG TWO of the southern oceans. On Dyer Island, near Gansbaai, there are breeding colonies for jackass penguins, cormorants and other sea birds. On the nearby Geyser Island 60,000 Cape fur seals breed. Between the two islands is the well-known "SHARK ALLEY" where many visitors come to see the GREAT WHITE SHARKS. The sea around these islands has become the feeding ground of this endangered species. Regular shark safaris are undertaken from Kleinbaai harbour. Since the area around Dyer Island has been declared a nature reserve, boats may only enter this area with a permit given by the Department of Nature Conservation.

The gentle giants of the southern ocean, the SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES, also visit the waters around GANSBAAI to mate, calve and nurse their calves from May to November each year. From the footpaths along the coastline and from a licensed whale watching boat, visitors can really see these giants swim and play from very close.

Around Gansbaai

With its mild climate, GANSBAAI is worth a visit for its pristine "FYNBOS" plants. From the mountains down to the coast a huge variety of plants flower throughout the year. Many hiking trails present the visitor with the most awesome views of beautiful landscapes from the top of the mountain or along the unspoilt and undeveloped beaches, to see many birds, plants, seashells etc.

The municipality of GANSBAAI consists of a few smaller villages:

• DE KELDERS, where the only fresh water caves along the African coastline can be found.
• GANSBAAI, a thriving business centre and popular holiday town with a working fishing harbour and a large canning factory.
• DANGER POINT, with a light house and evidence of the wreck of the Birkenhead
• KLEINBAAI ("Small bay"), a hive of activities for the shark and whale boats that depart daily from its small harbour for Shark Alley, between DYER and GEYSER ISLANDS - to view the GREAT WHITE SHARKS and the SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES.
• FRANSKRAAL, UILENKRAALSMOND AND PEARLY BEACH are small holiday resorts with unspoilt sandy beaches, caravan and camping sites, holiday houses and entertainment for the summer holiday.

Every day several customized boats leave KLEINBAAI harbour with visitors wanting to see the GREAT WHITE SHARKS AND THE SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALES. These huge animals can be watched from the boat or from an under-water cage. Chartered boat trips can be organized for fishing, crayfishing, booze cruises, scuba and wreck diving, as well as diving with the seals in the kelp forests. The Mount Dyer 4x4 route offers a drive onto the Franskraal Mountain with spectacular views over the Dyer Island Bay. New 4X4 and HIKING areas are being opened for the adrenaline junkies, and some of the farmers are opening their land to welcome birding enthusiasts and plant lovers to explore the areas birds and fynbos species.

During the summer holidays beaches are filled up to the max and especially at UILENKRAALSMOND, which is a permanent caravan camp, there is a festive mood. Touch rugby, volley ball, fishing, Boeresport, Tug of war, are just some of the many activities happening on the beach during the holiday season. The Uilenkraalsmond Estuary offers a bird-lovers paradise. At he caravan park there is a putt-putt course, Super-tube and disco close by. In FRANSKRAAL you will find the Strandveld Museum, where the history of Dyer Island is portrayed. From FRANSKRAAL (past the Uilenkraals river) to PEARLY BEACH, you can enjoy a walk on a 12 kilometre stretch of unspoilt sandy beach.

Originally known as ‘Gansgat’ because of the large number of wild geese which once had their nesting grounds around a fountain in the area, life in Gansbaai is very much focused on the fishing industry. The bay provides excellent protection against the foul northwesterly storms and Gansbaai boasts a modern harbour, and a canning and fish meal factory. Gansbaai is a picturesque village well known for rock and boat angling, diving and whale watching. The area also offers beautiful beaches and is very popular with sunseekers from far and wide.

GENERAL INFORMATION

How to get there

Caledon 90 km, Cape Town 180 km, Hermanus 55 km. Franskraal and Uilenkraalsmond 7 km, Pearly Beach 21 km, Danger Point 9 km

Altitude 30 m

Average Temperatures:

Summer 15°c – 32°c; winter 5°c – 22°c

Mountains

(near vicinity) Franskraal Berg

Rivers

(near vicinity) Uilenskraal River

Dams

(near vicinity) Kraaiboschdam being built at Baardskeerdersbos.

Banks

Absa, Boland

ATM’s

Absa, Boland

HISTORICAL VIEW

Shipwrecks

The wrecks of the Birkenhead (1852), Johanna (1682), Nicobar (1783) and many others are found in the area.

Khoi Fish Traps

Remains of the stone packed traps

NATURE

Bird Watching

Up to 125 different species of birds is found in the area.

Grootbos Nature Reserve

Whale Watching

Spectacular Southern right whles can be observed from the cliff at De Kelders. Best vantage point for the whole of Walker Bay. Look out for whale info boards along the coast.

Uilenskraalsmond Conservation Area

ATTRACTIONS

Annual Events

Gansbaai Glenryck Whale & Fynbos Festival – September

Beaches

Swimming and surfing. Uilenskraalsmond and Pearly Beach provides safe conditions with lifesavers only during school holidays.

Boat Trips

White shark diving

White shark adventures

Marine dynamics

Shark alley marketing

Gansbaai marketing

Trevi’s Tours

Fynbos Route

A floral route stretching from Stanford and Gansbaai to Elim. Includes visits to fynbos farms and flower processing, drying and arranging factories.

Harbour and Canning Factory

Fishing trawlers mooring and departing from the old harbour. Tours can only be scheduled when factory is in operation.

Crayfish and Abalone

Permits available at the Post Office.

Baardskeerdersbos

Located 20 km from Gansbaai, is renowned for it’s wild flowers

De Kelders

Located 3 km from Gansbaai, is situated on a rocky cliff, which flattens out onto the sandy stretches of ‘Die Plaat’ – an area well known as a fisherman’s paradise. Found along these shores is the only freshwater cave on the South African coast. Converted into a swimming pool, the facility was used by Lady Anne Barnard during a visit in 1798. This Drup Kelder, from which De Kelders took it’s name, is probably the oldest known cavern with drip stones in South Africa. It was first mentioned in an account of a visit here by Hendrik Swellengrebel in 1776 – four years before the Cango Caves were discovered. The tall cliffs provide an excellent vantage point from which to watch the Southern Right Whales when they come to Walker Bay between June and November each year. These magnificent, gentle creatures come from the Artic to these sheltered waters to calve. As the sea here is very deep, they come close inshore where they can be seen breaching and rolling, or simply lazing side by side. Excavations at Klipgat, another cave in the area, revealed archaelogical deposits left by Middle Stone Age people (85 000 years ago), and by the Later Stone Age Khoisan (2 000 years ago).

Danger Point

Located 9 km from Gansbaai. The rocky peninsula of Danger Point extends into the sea for approximately 8 km and is one of the most dangerous peninsulas in the world for ships to round. Danger Point has become a graveyard for many an unwary ship, including the legendary HMS Birkenhead on 26 February 1852 (443 lives were lost in the Birkenhead disaster). The notorious Birkenhead Rock can be seen at low tide, just a few kilometers off Danger Point. The lighthouse at Danger Point came into operation in 1895. Tours to the lighthouse and the Birkenhead Memorial can be arranged by the Gansbaai Publicity Association.

Dyers Island

A breeding colony for jackass penguins. Not far from Dyers Island is Geyser Island, a breeding ground for seals. As the area around these islands teems with an abundance of sealife, it has become a notorious feeding ground for Great White sharks which frequent these waters in large numbers. Dyers island is named after Samson Dyer, an American Negro who came to the Cape in 1806, and who lived on Dyers Island where he collected guano.

Franskraal and Uilenkraalsmond

Located 7 km from Gansbaai, Franskraal is a modern village and a botanist’s dream. Most of the flora is seasonal, flowering in spring. An ancient milkwood forest – one of the last left in the world, is one of the attractions at Franskraal. The resort is also popular for it’s shore angling, especially from well known spots such as Haaiklip and Blousloep. Uilenhraalsmond is situated at the mouth of the Uilenkraal River and is a popular holiday resort with a big, modern caravan park, supertube, putt-putt course and trampoline. It’s tranquil lagoon, safe for swimming, is also the homing ground for estuarine birds such as waders and gulls.

Kleinbaai

Located 4 km from Gansbaai, is a picturesque little village nestling amongst milkwood trees, summer daisies and glorious heather. It boasts a tidal pool, golf course with a sea view and a sports centre. During peak season the small harbour becomes a beechive of activity as boats and rubberducks come and go. Fishing is a major sport and many try for the elusive big ones amongst the geelbek, geelstert and kabeljou around Dyers Island, or galjoen at the Plaat.

Pearly Beach

21 km from Gansbaai. Pearly Beach village lazes partly obscured between heather covered dunes, which stretches for kilometers above a magnificent shoreline. It’s caravan park, shaded by ancient milkwood trees, is completely sheltered. Vast sandy stretches offer good angling spots. In season perlemoen and crayfish diving is a popular sport. Swimming in the aquamarine sea or lazing on the dazzling, pearly beach is so enjoyable that visitors return year after year. At Klein Paradijs Guest Farm only a few kilometers away, the call of a fish eagle is often heard echoing plaintively in the quiet of the crimson dawn.

Stanfords Bay

This marvelous little cove, once used by Captain Robert Stanfors for exporting his farm produce, is located 2 km from Gansbaai. Old milkwood trees cluster in a semicircle round the small bay with it’s tiny beach, offering safe swimming. Fig trees dating back approximately 150 years can be seen here, not far from the freshwater spring at Flentergat.

ACTIVITITES

Annual Events

Dangerpoint Half Marathon – December

Hiking Duiwelsgat Hiking Trail

A 7 km route leading from Gansbaai to De Kelders. Dolphins. Penguins, whales, seals, dassies and otters can be seen along the trail.

Byenes Krans Trail

A 3 km walk alon the mountain offering beautiful sea views, through a milkwood forest, fynbos and caves.

Bosluis Hiking Trail

Locate in the Pearly Beach area. 26 km / 2 days. Overnight facilities.

Diving

White Shark Cage Diving

Fishing

Horse Riding

Accommodation in and around Gansbaai