Agulhas National Park
Encyclopedia
The Agulhas National Park is a South African national park
located in the Agulhas Plain in the southern Overberg
region of the Western Cape
, about 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) south-east of Cape Town
. The park stetches along the coastal plain between the towns of Gansbaai and Struisbaai
, and includes the southern tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas
. it covered an area of 20959 hectares (51,790.8 acre).
The primary tourist attraction in the park is Cape Agulhas
, the southernmost tip of Africa and the official meeting-point of the Atlantic
and Indian
Oceans. Nearby is the Agulhas lighthouse
, the second-oldest lighthouse in South Africa, which also includes a small museum and tearoom.
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
located in the Agulhas Plain in the southern Overberg
Overberg
Overberg is a district in South Africa to the east of Cape Town beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountains. It lies along the Cape Province's south coast between the Cape Peninsula and the region known as the Garden Route in the east...
region of the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, about 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) south-east of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
. The park stetches along the coastal plain between the towns of Gansbaai and Struisbaai
Struisbaai
Struisbaai is a coastal settlement in the Overberg region of South Africa's Western Cape province. The town is two hours South from Cape Town in the Cape Agulhas Local Municipality within the Overberg District, and four kilometers from the southernmost point of the African continent at Cape...
, and includes the southern tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. it covered an area of 20959 hectares (51,790.8 acre).
Points of interest
Cape Agulhas
Cape Agulhas is a rocky headland in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is the geographic southern tip of Africa and the official dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the southernmost tip of Africa and the official meeting-point of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and Indian
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
Oceans. Nearby is the Agulhas lighthouse
Cape Agulhas Lighthouse
The Cape Agulhas Lighthouse is situated at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. It was the third lighthouse to be built in South Africa, and the second-oldest still operating, after Green Point...
, the second-oldest lighthouse in South Africa, which also includes a small museum and tearoom.
- Whale watchingWhale watchingWhale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
in season - November to January.
- Animals to see include the Southern Right WhaleSouthern Right WhaleThe southern right whale is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Like other right whales, the southern right whale is readily distinguished from others by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching...
, African Black OystercatcherAfrican Black OystercatcherThe African Oystercatcher or African Black Oystercatcher, is a large wader which is a resident breeder on the rocky coasts and islands of southern Africa...
, Damara TernDamara TernThe Damara Tern is a species of tern in the Sternidae family.It breeds in western South Africa, Namibia and Angola...
and Cape Platanna.
External links
- Agulhas National Park at South African National ParksSouth African National ParksSouth African National Parks is the body responsible for managing South Africa's national parks. SANParks was formed in 1926, and currently manages 20 parks consisting of , about 3% of the total area of South Africa....