South Africa Day 4: Kogelberg Nature Reserve & Penguins

Blog Entry #24: South Africa Day 4: Kogelberg Nature Reserve & Penguins

Monday, September 26, 2011

Waves on rocks at Kleinmond; Walker Bay in distance

Beach at Kleinmond

Having traveled across the Hottentot Holland Range on our trip to Hermanus on Saturday, we were looking forward to returning to Capetown via the coastal highway along the edge of the wild Kogelberg Mountains and Nature Reserve.  We started our drive with a stop in Kleinmond for a look back across Walker Bay toward Hermanus, and then proceeded west to Betty’s Bay, home to one of three African penguin nesting sites in South Africa.  The following comes from the African Penguin Reserve at Betty’s Bay.

Folded strata along beach at Kleinmond

Africa has two flightless bird species: the Ostrich, adapted to terrestrial life and the African Penguin, adapted to marine existence. The African Penguin colonizes offshore islands and nests on the mainland only at three places in South Africa. The site at Stony Point, Betty's Bay is one of the only three land-based colonies and for this reason it is treasured.

The African Penguin, Speniscus demersus is the only species of the 18 species worldwide, breeding around African coasts. Penguins occur only in the Southern Hemisphere. Three other species are seen in this region, but are rare vagrants. Today, the total population of African Penguins is estimated to be around 170 000 adults and has suffered a decline of 90 % in the past 60 years. The African Penguin is listed as Vulnerable in the Red Data book

Penguins can reach speeds of up to 20 km per hour and cruise at 4 - 7 km per hour. They will seek prey at depths of 100 m, but normally dive to about 35 m. Adults stand about 65 cm tall and the females weigh about 3 kg, males about 0,5 kg more. They live 20 - 25 years and eat about 540 gram of sardines, pilchards, squid etc. per day.

African Penguin in Nest Cavity

African Penguins reach sexual maturity between 2 and 4 years of age. They usually mate for life. Penguin pairs will return to and defend their nest each year for as long as 15 years. They breed from February to October. The nest, often a deep burrow, takes some two weeks to complete. The nests are line with pads of feathers or plant material. The eggs, rather round in shape and about 7 x 6 cm, are pure white when new laid, but stain heavily as time passes. If the eggs are predated, the female often lays again about six weeks later. Parents alternate on the nest. One incubates while the other forages. The eggs hatch after 38 - 41 days and the nestlings, usually two, are fed regurgitated fish by both birds for about 11 weeks. They consume about 25 kg of fish before they are big enough to leave the nest.

Betty's Bay Penguin Reserve

We were stunned and thrilled to walk the boardwalk through the nesting site, and to see literally hundreds of penguins, some in molting phase, and some sitting on nests.  

Dassie or "Rock Rabbit, relative of the Elephant!

Sharing the site were several dassies or “rock rabbits” – a large woodchuck-looking creature that is actually the closest living relative to the elephant, and like the elephant, has internal tusks.

African Penguins & Surf

Penguin Colony on Folded Strata, Betty's Bay

At the African Penguin Colony, Betty's Bay

African Penguins, Betty's Bay Reserve

Penguins Swimming, Betty's Bay Reserve

Kogelberg Nature Reserve

Further up the highway the road turns inland through the 

Folded Strata, Kogelberg Mountains

Kogelberg Reserve, a rugged terrain of the roots of ancient mountains with twisted and folded sediments from when the original mountains were formed about 240 million years ago.  Today the remnants form shear cliffs that plunge into the sea, and provide dramatic backdrop to the beaches below.

Kogelberg Reserve with Fynbos in bloom

Cape Hangklip, eastern point of False Bay

Cape Point from False Bay, looking south

We rounded False Bay, so named for sailors who mistook Cape Hangklip on its southeastern edge for Cape Point, and found themselves marooned in the bay for several days when the winds died down.  We were on our way to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope, past the sprawling Capetown townships of Khayelitsha and Mitchell’s Plain, legacy of the apartheid era. 

South Africa Day 4: Fynbos!

Blog Entry #23: South Africa Day 4: Fynbos!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

As I have alluded to in previous entries, one of the fascinating things we have encountered in South Africa is the native vegetation, the fynbos.  We are especially fortunate to have arrived here at the outset of the South African spring, as everything is green and everything is in bloom.  Here’s how Wikipedia introduces fynbos:

Fynbos blooming above Volmoed Community

Fynbos (Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈfəinbɒs], or anglicised as /ˈfeɪnbɒs/) is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate. The Fynbos ecoregion is within the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.  The word fynbos is the Afrikaans for "fine bush", referring to the thin leaves.

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“Fynbos has more diversity of species than in a tropical rainforest. There are 9000 species of fynbos occurring in the Cape area; over 2000 species on Table Mountain alone – which is more plant species than occur in the whole United Kingdom.”

I’m convinced that Theodore Seuss Geisel, the author of the Dr. Seuss books I grew up on, must have visited South Africa, for his wonderful collection of odd plants and flowers seem drawn directly from the fynbos we see blooming here.  

BabilonsToring ("Tower of Babylon") and Fynbos blooming

As I hiked to the top of the ridge behind Volmoed yesterday, I couldn’t get more than a few feet before having to pause to marvel at yet another strangely shaped plant with brilliant blossoms.  

Red Protea

Yellow Protea

My favorites were the red giant protea that looks like it is out of “Little Shop of Horrors” and the yellow relative that covers the hillsides here, and coated the top of Table Mountain when we climbed it on our return to Capetown.

Enjoy these photos of some of the blossoms and the landscape; eventually I hope to be able to identify some of the many flowers I recorded!

Dan on the Ridge above Volmoed; BabilonsToring in distance with vineyards

Blossom on Red Flaming Tree

South Africa Day 3: The Volmoed Community

Blog Entry #22: South Africa Day 3: Volmoed Community

Sunday, September 24, 2011

Pat, Isobel & John de Gruchy, Dan

One of the true delights of this visit to South Africa has been renewing my friendship with Isobel and John de Gruchy, whom I first met in 1983 at Holden Village, and then studied with at Union Seminary in 1989 during my first year of doctoral studies.  John is one of South Africa’s most eminent theologians, an expert on the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his resistance to Hitler, and one of the leading opposition leaders to apartheid within the South African church.

Mike, Allison, and "Bunny" -- Volmoed Community Members

John and Isobel now live at Volmoed (www.volmoed.co.za), a Christian ecumenical community outside the coastal community of Hermanus, 2 hours SE of Capetown.  Volmoed means “Courage and Hope,” and was founded in 1986 “during some of the darkest days of apartheid as a place that was open to all, seeking to pursue reconciliation amongst people divided by race and class, and witnessing to God’s gift of healing and wholeness.”

Chapel at Volmoed

A small group of members of South African churches took over an old farm of the same name – Volmoed (and one of the stipulations of the sale was that they keep the name) – and began the arduous process of turning it into a community retreat center.

View from Grace Cottage, Volmoed

One of the most challenging early tasks of the community was to heal the land itself: as is the case with many Mediterranean climates worldwide, South Africa finds itself besieged by an invasion of exotic plant species, many from Australia such as the familiar eucalyptus tree.  South Africa is home to the fynbos, one of the world’s 6 major flora kingdoms, and among the most diverse in species, though by far the smallest in territory.  

Bouquet of Fynbos Flowers

Many of these floral wonders are threatened by rapidly expanding plant invaders – some 29 species are already extinct -- and Volmoed from the beginning has been committed to eradicating them from the farm, and letting the local fynbos flourish once again. 

Well-Spring, Volmoed

Groups of young people came from Capetown to help with this effort, and among them was Anton de Gruchy, John and Isobel’s youngest child, who came early on with his church youth group to eradicate invasives.  Thus did the de Gruchy’s become connected to Volmoed, and when John officially retired from his duties at the University of Capetown several years ago, they moved to Volmoed and built a stunning home on the hillside, Well-spring. 

Breakfast at Well-Spring

Here they have hosted friends and family from all over the world, and Pat and I were grateful to be included in their hospitality.

Vineyards near Volmoed with Walker Bay in distance

Volmoed is also in the heart of one of South Africa’s richest wine regions, with vineyards draping the nearby hills and valleys.  (Pat and I enjoyed sampling several of the local varieties!).

On the deck at Grace Cottage

Grace Cottage at Volmoe

Comfortably ensconced in our little cottage (appropriately named “Grace”), we were able to explore the nearby Onrus River gorge and waterfall, and hike to the top of the ridge behind the farm for a stunning 360 degree view of the Overberg region.

"Tower of Babylon" and vineyards near Volmoed Community

Hermanus and the Atlantic Ocean lie to the south and 1167 meter Babilonstoring (“Tower of Babel” – the Dutch Reformed Church heritage is ever present here) to the north.

Volmoed from Well-Spring

Fynbos blossoms

With the fynbos in full bloom (next blog entry!), dozens of spring birds gracing the bushes, a resident baboon troup greeting us each day by the pond, and several “dassies” (rock rabbits) grazing the lawn in front of the cottage, we slowed down from our hectic pace on the ship and simply enjoyed this lovely spot.