Cape Cross has a special place in the history of Namibia, as indeed in the history of Southern Africa. It was at this desolate spot in 1486 more than 500 years ago, that Europeans first set foot on the southern end of Africa, the ‘dark continent’ as it was then termed.
A quarter of a million Cape Fur Seals make Cape Cross a popular destination for visitors from all over the world. It is the biggest mainland breeding colony of Cape Fur Seals in Namibia, and it the only breeding colony accessible to visitors. In the breeding season when the seals and their Pups are on land, it is possible to approach closely and photographic opportunities abound. In 1969 the South West Africa Division of Nature Conservation and Tourism, the forerunner of the present Ministry of Environment and Tourism, proclaimed the area around the seal colony, the Cape Cross Seal Reserve. It covers an area of 60km² and extends southwards in the direction of Mile 72 which is a popular surf fishing area.