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Cape Town Marine Life PDF Print E-mail
Kelp: Only the kelp forest of California comes close to resembling this unique environment found no-where else in the world. Kelp (sea bamboo) provides a canopy overhead with their long strap fonds (leaves) suspended on long stalks. They are actually a form of algae with an incredible growth rate that break the force of waves and provide many creatures with food and shelter.

Southern Right Whale: Whale watching season is held from June to December in Cape Town when adult female Southern Right Whales come to give birth and raise their young on our coastline. Black-blue in colour they grow to 17 meters in length and can weigh up to 47 tonnes. Local legislation protects the Southern Right Whale by restricting all whale viewing to a distance of 300meters and now the Southern Right Whale population is increasing satisfactorily.

Nudibranchs: Also known as sea slugs, nudibranchs appear in a fantastic variety of colours such as gas-flamed and silvertipped. These hermaphrodites are often

Seals: Whilst uncoordinated and clumsy on land, seals perform acrobatic gymnastics underwater, twisting and turning their flexible bodies with great speed; it is impossible to keep up! Seals abundance of energy and playfulness is entertaining to scuba divers as their curiosity brings them to you before you can look for them. Seals form colonies around the Cape coast and thus there are many seal islands. The most popular of these dived by scuba divers is Duiker Island near Hout Bay. Cape Fur Seals have streamlined bodies with an insulating layer of blubber to protect them from the cold. They feed on pelagic fish, octopus and rock lobster.