Surrounding South-Africa, there are some magnificent creatures living in the seas.  As a backpacker coming to Cape Town – this is one of the highlights.   A mix of many local species fill the South African salt water with their beauty.  Sizes can vary from twelve meters in length, to not even one.  It is a wonderful experience to take a dive into the world of the marine animals.   A mixture of so many different types of life.  It will amaze you. It is possible for you to come closer with the marine life, more then you have ever been before.

If you are looking for the birds that will always wear their special tuxedo for you, called the penguins, Cape Town is the place to be.  Simons Town, a place nearby is the home of a large colony Jackass penguins, famous for their donkey-like braying call.

But if the bird is not enough, some bigger mammals claim the sea around Cape Town as their home as well. A hunter that has the skills to catch the smaller and quicker fish in the “big blue”, called the Pinniped.  Better known as the Seal.  A mammal that lives around and even in Cape Town.  Every day, some members of the big family come into the harbour, just to be able to lay in the sun for a minute without having any worries about the bigger fish in the sea.  It is always fun to go out to the harbour and see them.  You will be given a high quality entertainment without paying one single penny.

But those heavy weight mammals are not the only visitors of the harbour. Sometimes, a far more clever type of amazement comes in.  An animal that is able to use teamwork, tools and can talk to each other.  The dolphins.   All around Cape Town it is possible to see them. They swim in the sea with large numbers.  Challenging the seals for the fish.  Go out on a boat, look into the sky and follow the birds.  The birds know that the dolphins are perfect hunters and will deliver them plenty of food, making advantage of the strategic plan of the dolphins. Follow the birds and you will be able to see dolphins from a very close range.

As you will know, not all the hunters of the sea have to do such an effort for food.  Some are big enough, to just open their mouth and swim.  The microscopic food will just be filtered out of the water and go straight into the stomach.  Yes of course I am talking about Whales. Whale watching is very popular among the people in South Africa.  Not even 1.5 hours of driving from Cape Town will result into you being in whale paradise. Just sit on the rocks, look at the view, take a glass of wine and enjoy.  Especially in the whale season, from the end of June till the beginning of December, it will be possible for you to see many of them. The experience of seeing a whale in real life, cannot be compared or described.  It is something magical that you have to discover for yourself.

When you finished sitting on the rocks and are ready for some adventure, the most amazing part of the marine life will begin. The creature that has the most famous reputation of them all, known for his black eyes and perfect camouflage in the sea. Look at him from the bottom and his massive white belly will blend in with the light from the sky, look at him from the top and his giant dark topside will be almost invisible for the eye to see, as it blends in with the darkness of the deep sea.  I am talking about sharks, but not just any shark. A shark that has many different names. The Tommy shark, the White pointer or better known as the Great White Shark.  With his gigantic size of sometimes even six meters and a history of 16 million years, he is evolved to the top predator, the number one hunter of the sea. For you it is possible to see the magnificent legend in real life.  Do the shark cage diving and experience the feeling of getting close to the shark. If you do that, you will know what a six meter shark really means, you can see how beautiful he is and obviously you can tell people, you have been with the Great White Shark.  This is all easily accessible when you are in Cape Town. At Ashanti we know the agencies that guaranty the best safety for you.

As you must understand know, the sea life of South Africa is so unique and special, you want to see and feel it. At Ashanti you can plan every part of your adventure, exploring the marine world will never be so close to you as before.

So when you are in Cape Town, just take a dive, into the other world.