WhaleTale News
Dear Friends, In between Hermanus and Gansbaai lies the sleepy little village called De Kelders, Dutch for cellars. It tends to remain immune to the large scale tourism development on its doorstep. Essentially it was a fishing village and is famous for its abundant sea life.
Its coastline has one of the most unusual geological features of underground caves beneath the cliffs. These natural caves, some small and some large, contain stalactites, stalagmites and crystal clear pools set on the floor of the cave. One, in particular, known as the Freshwater cave, is famous for its “indoor” pool. These caverns were formed thousands of years ago through the erosive action of underwater aquifers. Adding to that rising sea levels and pounding waves, it formed huge caves that would later become the home of our native Khoikhoi people.
The well known Klipgat Cave, with its remarkable window-like opening, yields spectacular views over the bay. The spacious shelter that this cave provides, its freshwater spring and the proximity of a constant seafood supply made this a hunters-gatherer paradise. Their ancient fish traps are known as visvywers. The early inhabitants build walls of rock to create tidal pools to trap the fish with the outgoing tide, and we can still see them along the coastline.
Local archaeologists discovered stone tools, bones and human remains during excavations conducted in 1992. These findings are amongst the oldest remains of modern-looking Homo Sapiens in the world. As there are only three places in SA where such old remains have been excavated, Klipgat Cave is one of the most important historical sites in the Western Cape and has World Heritage significance.
De Kelders lies on the shores of Walker Bay which is also home to the Southern Right Whale. Year after year the whales return to mate and calve in the sheltered bays and rocky inlets. The best land-based whale watching takes place here as whales come within meters of the rocks that line the edges of the kelp beds along the De Kelders coastline, never ceasing to elicit delight. For this experience, De Kelders is world renown.
Nightlife in De Kelders is peaceful and romantic. A starlit sky forms a magical canopy over your head as the lack of streetlights adds to the ambience the moon and stars provide freely. Lovers can stroll from pubs to restaurants in nearby Gansbaai to indulge in its famous seafood. Your wine glass will remain topped up with award-winning wines from the many local wine estates in the region.
We love the various hiking trails from Gansbaai to De Kelders and exploring the exquisite Walker Bay Nature Reserve situated next to De Kelders. The lowland coastal fynbos, also known as strandveld, provides food for the soul and is found in and around the reserve. The Bay itself is well worth a visit as it includes a long white sandy beach known as De Plaat, stretching along its 17 km unspoilt coastline.
There is so much beauty to behold in this part of our district.
In the meantime, Kaal-Ou started writing his book, with the title:- “How to outsmart a mole for dummies”! Our garden has been mole free for the last couple of months due to the creative innovations of our chief landscaper. We both have a strong feeling we have a best seller on hand.?
As the French would say, c’est la vie, meaning, such is life, we say, s’ea la vie, such is my sea life!
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