Ninety seconds on Cape Cross
Walking beside the colony puts you within a few metres of wild Cape fur seals, with no guide and no vehicle between you. Watch its edges too, where black-backed jackals come for pups and carcasses.
Seals lie right against the walkway and wriggle underneath it, so never reach down to touch one. A seal that feels cornered bares its teeth, and the bulls turn aggressive in the breeding season. Leave any pup alone even when it looks lost, since a mother may reject a pup that carries a human scent.
In the birth months you will see sick and dead pups on the sand, and no staff clear them away. Do not wear the jacket you plan to wear at dinner, because the smell gets into clothing.
Walk up to the replica crosses on the headland, the one spot where you see the colony, the coast and the desert together. Before you leave, ask at reception about the self-guided drive.
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