It has been raining a great deal during our visit, but we have been determined not to let this uncooperative weather stop us. This morning, probably against better judgement, we boarded a boat for Seal Island in the rain and braved some ridiculously rough seas.

As we approached the seals, all of the seafaring tourists aboard made their way toward the left side (or the port side) of the boat deck to catch a glimpse. The whole boat seemed to tip in that direction. With great courage, we risked an impending dip into chilly water as the seals playfully greeted us, and they were so fun to watch that we briefly forgot about being pelted with raindrops. Unfortunately, the combination of the deluge - the rain, and the sea mist - made it impossible to film our death-defying adventure. We did manage to snap a few photos of these cute little sea creatures for you though.

Very happy to be safely returned to shore, we headed to the World of Birds Wildlife Reserve and Monkey Park. Here, I got to speak the owner, Walter Mangold. The World of Birds is astounding; like walking through a rainforest (and we had the necessary rain to make it even more authentic.) The reserve keeps the animals in habitats that visitors can walk through. This means we could play with the monkeys, pet the tortoises, and walk right into a peacock’s path.

Given that their focus is birds, we learned about birds indigenous to South Africa, such as the Grey Crowned Crane. This is an austere bird with a crown of feathers atop its head. Legend has it that Grey Crowned Cranes are former Xhosa princesses. Today, they are fiercely protected by the Xhosa, who do not want to see these beautiful birds become extinct.  

Cheetah Outreach

The final stop on today’s Cape Town animal adventure was a Cheetah Outreach in Spier. Here, we spoke with a woman named Liesl about how the center works to protect these beautiful, yet endangered animals.

Since cheetahs can be dangerous, we had to keep our team to a minimum when we entered the enclosed habitat - so only three of us were allowed in. Meredith snapped photos while I filmed up-close. To be honest, I think we three were the only ones brave enough to enter the cheetah enclosure. Lucky me - I was even able to pet a cheetah before it was time for us to leave.

I am secretly wishing I could bring a baby cheetah, monkey, or tortoise home with me,

P.S. Since arriving back in the States, I have learned that the waters surrounding Seal Island are some of the most Great White Shark infested waters in the world. I sure am glad that I did not know this before boarding the boat.

Visit World of Birds	Seal Island & The World of Birds	Visit Cheetah Outreach	Cheetah: Close Up

Go to the next day >

Copyright © 2007 ProjectExplorer, LTD. All Rights Reserved.