Places near me Random place
All South Africa Cape Town Seal Island

Seal Island

Haven for Cape Fur Seals, until the Ring of Death of jumping Great White Sharks arrives.

Cape Town, South Africa

Added By
Allison Meier
  Wikimedia
  Wikimedia
  Derek Tam/Flickr
  Derek Tam/Flickr
  Wikimedia
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located in False Bay just off the coast of Cape Town, Seal Island is a small granite landform absolutely swarmed with Cape Fur Seals.

The piles of seals use the island as their main breeding ground and usually are left in peace. Humans have tried to inhabit the island, but failed, once as sealers in the early 20th century and later during World War II with an installation of a radar that was soon destroyed by the elements.

However, the Great White Sharks also love the little island and at certain times of the year create a circle around it known as the Ring of Death. Any seal that swims too far is attacked by the sharks that actually leap from the water with the seals in their teeth before crashing down into the waves.  

Related Tags

Sharks Animal Islands Islands Animals

Community Contributors

Added By

Allison

Published

October 18, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources

Nearby Places

Explore the Destination Guide

Related Stories and Lists

Related Places

  • Marble tortoise statues on Kusu Island

    Singapore

    Tortoises of Kusu Island

    Legend holds that a tortoise turned itself into this island to save two shipwrecked sailors.

  • Swinburne Island.

    Staten Island, New York

    Swinburne Island

    This abandoned artificial island off the coast of New York City is now home to dozens of harbor seals.

  • Bass Rock Gannet Colony.

    East Lothian, Scotland

    Bass Rock

    This tiny island is home to the world's largest colony of Northern gannets.

  • Okishima cat.

    Ōmihachiman-shi, Japan

    Okishima Island

    A Japanese cat island also populated by the descendants of a band of banished samurai.

  • A wallaby on Inchconnachan.

    Argyll and Bute, Scotland

    Wallabies of Inchconnachan

    An eccentric aristocrat brought these Australian natives to their current Scottish home.

  • Skomer Island

    Pembrokeshire, Wales

    Skomer Island

    A wildlife paradise, this island is one of the world’s most important habitats for burrow nesting seabirds.

  • Ursula Island

    Puerto Princesa, Philippines

    Ursula Island

    This tiny island protects a number of rare bird species by only allowing visitors to set foot on the beach.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads

Become a Member