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Whale
Watching
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| The Overberg
is renowned to offer
some of the best land-
and boat-based whale
watching
in the world. Each year,
Southern Right, Humpback
and Bryde's whales migrate
into our coastal waters
to calve and nurse their
young. The animals,
mere meters from the
shore, provide unsurpassed
whale watching opportunities
between June and November.
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Kogelberg
Biosphere Reserve
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| The Kogelberg
Biosphere Reserve
is often considered
the heart of the Cape
Floral Kingdom, because
of the exceptional quality
of its fynbos. Kogelberg
is the first and only
Biosphere
in South Africa to be
proclaimed by United
Nations' Educational,
Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO).
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Explore
the Overberg's Floral Wonders
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| The Overberg
is blessed with remarkable
floral variety. Most
of the region is richly
endowed with fynbos,
characterized by proteas,
ericas and the russet
restios or reeds that
carpet the damp lowlands.
The best flower displays
usually occur from August
to mid-October. Weather
patterns, particularly
hot berg winds, determine
the duration of the
flower season. |
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Harold
Porter National Botanical
Garden
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| Traveling
along the most scenic
coastal drive from Gordons
Bay to Betty's Bay,
you will discover The
Harold Porter
Botanical Garden,
situated in the heart
of a unique floral biome.
In this beautiful and
pristine section of
the South Western Cape
coastline, the number
of plant species per
square kilometer is
greater than anywhere
else in the whole of
Southern Africa. |
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De
Hoop Nature Reserve &
Marine Protected Area
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| De
Hoop Nature Reserve
is approximately 34
000 ha in size and one
of the largest natural
areas managed by Cape
Nature Conservation.
The adjacent De
Hoop Marine Protected
Area,
which extends three
nautical miles (5 km)
out to sea, is one of
the largest marine protected
areas in Africa and
provides a sanctuary
for a vast fascinating
array of marine life.
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The
Jackass Penguin Colony at
Stony Point in Betty's Bay.
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| Here you
can experience viewing
a unique land-based
colony. This penguin
colony is one of two
breeding colonies on
the mainland in South
Africa. The number of
penguins you may see
from the viewing platform,
will depend on time
of the day and season,
and also varies from
year to year. The best
viewing times are early
morning and evening,
particularly from April
to June. |
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White
Shark Adventures
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| Daily
shark diving and sighting
tours are offered off
Gansbaai (2 hour drive
from Cape Town). Approximately
12 km offshore from
Gansbaai there is two
islands situated next
to each other - Dyer
Island has become known
as one of the most unique
areas in the world,
to successfully view
the great white shark. |
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Bontebok
National Park
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| The Bontebok
National Park
is a 2 786 ha expanse
of attractive heath
country flanking the
Breede River. The reserve
is sanctuary to a thriving
population of bontebok,
together with Cape mountain
zebras and a scattering
of other antelope such
as grysbok, grey rhebok,
duiker, red hartebeest
and steenbok. |
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