Bay Lodge on The Beach

Lighthouse

by didgeridorien

The lighthouse offers an amazing view of the town and the bay. If you get there early morning or late afternoon, you can often see the dolphins entering and leaving the bay. You can also do a tour of the lighthouse for 5 rand.

Mossel Bay

by didgeridorien

"General"

Mossel Bay is a town with just over 82,000 inhabitants. It lies in the Western Cape province, on the Garden Route. It borders the Indian Oceans and has the only north facing beach in South Africa and is therefore also a popular surf spot. Mossel Bay has the second mildest climate in the world (Hawaii is the first).

"History"

Nomadic Khoisan people were the first inhabitants of this area, the caves they used to inhabit are still visible.
Bartolomeu Dias arrived here in 1488, naming it Bay of St Blaise. It was renamed to Mossel Bay by the Dutch navigator Paulus van Caerden in 1601.

"Wildlife"

Mossel Bay is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins and humpback dolphins can also be seen on a regular basis. During the whale season (june-october) humbacks and southern right whales also visit the bay.
There is an island (Seal Island) in the bay that has a population of over 5,000 seals, that can often be seen playing along the rocky shores.
The seal population also attrackts white sharks, that are always present in the area. There are no shark nets along the beaches, but there has only been one shark attack since recording began.

Mossel Bay

by Kurtdhis

Situated in the southern Cape area of South Africa, Mosselbaai is one of the most beautiful coastal towns on the Garden Route. Long known as a quaint little fishing village waking up only at the start of the 'season' Mosselbaai has now grown into an all year round friendly holiday haven. Also known as Mossel Bay, the name Mosselbaai literally means "Bay of Mussels." Unfortunately most of these mussels are now gone, but the town is still famous for its sole, and no visit would be complete without tasting this delicious fish at any of the fine restaurants in the area.On 25 November 1497 Vasco da Gama replenished his stores of fresh water and meat at Mosselbaai. During his stay of thirteen days, the Portuguese bartered for cattle with the locals. Although both peoples performed musical displays to impress the other, this encounter also ended in violence. After they had left, the Gouriqua destroyed the padr?o (a stone marker) and wooden cross erected by the explorers.Since the bay had become a regular stopover for Portuguese ships to replenish their water supplies, d'Ataide knew that his letter would be found by a Portuguese fleet returning from India. His letter was discovered the following year by Jo?o da Nova. Thus was started a tradition whereby sailors bound for India left letters and messages to relatives which were collected by ships returning to Portugal. (On 20 December 1963 the postbox at the Post Office Tree Monument received its own unique postal stamp.)

The name Mosselbaai, which means "Bay of Mussels," was given by either Cornelius de Houtman on 4 August 1595 or by Paulus van Caerden on 8 July 1601. Both these Dutch traveler's could find only mussels with which to replenish their stores. Apparently the local Gouriqua had become wary of the "foreigners" because quite a few skirmishes were documented between the Gouriqua and especially the Portuguese travelers.Mossel Bay invites you to ?Explore Endless Horizons? on your trip through the Garden Route and has many activities to delight and entertain the most discerning traveler.The well known Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex consists of the Maritime Museum which houses a life size replica of Dias? Caravel and nearby the Post Office Tree under which Pedro de Ataide left an important letter in a shoe in 1500. Visit the site where a symbolic wooden cross was erected in 1992 to commemorate the first Christian Chapel built in 1501. Ancient Khoi found shelter in the Cape St. Blaize Cave at the Point from which a hiking trail winds its way for 13.5 Kms. First-class accommodation, shops crammed with curios and souvenirs, and mod cons to rival any found in the First World contrast delightfully with bare feet and vendors selling their wares on sidewalks in easygoing Africa mode. Structures built from dressed sandstone dating from the early days of the town stand side by side with modern architecture

At the Point, visitors have breathtaking views of waves crashing against rocky a shoreline. Experience swimming in a natural rock tidal pool, take a walk along the scenic St. Blaize hiking trail or watch dolphins, seals and whales at play from various lookout points. Discover the Khoi-San Village, the War Memorial and the historical Cape st. Blaize Lighthouse.