The Cape Of Good Hope - South Africa Where The Oceans Meet

The legendary Cape of Good Hope is not actually the most southerly point of the African continent. In reality, that point lies 150 kilometres further east. It is there that the cold waters of the Atlantic meet the warm currents of the Indian Ocean, creating very special maritime habitats. Conditions here have allowed a very precious mollusc, the abalone, to thrive. Coastal residents, however, are fishing this delicacy, illegally. We speak with shark researcher, Michael Scholl, who is studying the migrations of the Great Whites in Gaansbaai. Nowhere else on earth will you find so many examples of the famous killer than here. The Cape of Good Hope is also called the "Cape of Storms". The countless wrecks off this stretch of coastline are testimony to the wrath of Mother Nature. For example, that of the "Birkenhead" steamship, famous for the "Birkenhead Drill", the practice of allowing women and children to be the first to leave a sinking ship. This chivalry did not save the captain's life, however; he died that night, as did most of the men in his crew. The southern tip of Africa is also home to a fascinating animal kingdom and wide variety of species. Gigantic southern right whales glide past only metres from the shore. Baboons feast here on seafood and flocks of penguins have settled themselves immediately at the edge of the city of Cape Town.

Download synopsis (234,74 kb)