73www.getaway.co.za72 Getaway May 2012
Year in the Wild Agulhas National Park
There was a time when the Agulhas region hosted one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. But when humans and their guns arrived, thousands of animals
were hunted, some to extinction. Today, with the help of farmers and scientists, Agulhas National Park is starting small and thinking big. By Scott Ramsay.
75www.getaway.co.za74 Getaway May 2012
Year in the Wild Aghulas National Park
Imagine driving towards Cape Agulhas, making your way
along the national N2 road near Caledon until a herd of a
thousand bontebok blocked your path. Then as you cross
the bridge over the Breede River near Swellendam, a family of
hippo grunt their disapproval before crashing back into the
rooibos-coloured water.
Closer to Bredasdorp, the largest town in the area today, a
black rhino wanders into view, munching on the aptly named
renosterveld and finally, as night arrives and you pull up at
the southernmost tip of Africa, a herd of elephant is illumi-
nated by the flash of the famous lighthouse.
Sound far-fetched? Today, definitely, but in the early 1700s,
things were very different. Before people arrived in numbers,
the bottom of our continent was home to one of the largest
concentrations of wildlife in Africa. In 1689, traveller Isaq
Schryver noted that he encountered a herd of at least a
thousand bontebok on his journey through this region.
‘Most of the Cape Overberg, in which Agulhas National
Park lies, has been transformed by agriculture,’ park manager
Ettienne Fourie explained. ‘But from the archives, we know
this area used to be known as the Serengeti of the South,
where huge herds of wild animals were commonly seen.’
It’s something early explorers would have been exposed to
– and not always pleasantly. One of the survivors of the first
recorded shipwreck on the coast was killed by an elephant in
1673. Today, people are still discovering elephant tusks and
black rhino skulls in the sandy soils, evidence that these
animals were once abundant here.
As with elsewhere in Africa, however, colonial bloodlust
took its toll. The last hippo in the area was shot at Zeekoei-
vlei in 1898 – it made for easy hunting – and some species
unique to the region, including the bloubok and quagga, were
previous pages: The lighthouse at Agulhas was on the first piece of land to be pro-claimed as a national park in 1999. opposiTe: Agulhas National Park’s main conser-vation aim is to conserve the southern tip of Africa’s unique fynbos. BeLoW: The wreck of Meisho Maru is just one of hundreds along Africa’s most southerly shores.
Year in the Wild Agulhas National Park
76 Getaway May 2012
Year in the Wild Agulhas National Park
no surprise then that Agulhas is a special place. ‘The park
has the highest botanical diversity per unit area in the world,’
Ettienne said. ‘It’s vital for the conservation of fynbos in
South Africa and the world.’
As an example, he explained that on the slopes of the
Soetanysberg, which at 249 metres is the highest point in the
park, there are seven fynbos types in a 90-square-kilometre
area. Four of these are endangered: limestone proteoid, Elim
asteraceous fynbos (which is unique to Agulhas), restioid
fynbos and neutral sand proteoid fynbos. Each of these
contains several hundred species of plants. Some species
– such as the wonderfully named bashful sugarbush (Protea
pudens) – are extremely limited in their distribution, occurring
in just one or two places.
The park is focused on biodiversity and conserves 230
bird species, including more than 21 000 water birds (about
nine per cent of those in the Western Cape), which find
protection on Soetendalsvlei, the most southerly lake in
the country and one of the largest.
White pelican, greater flamingo, lesser swamp-warbler
and little stint are quite common and the coastline is home
to the near-threatened damara tern and African black oyster-
catcher. Significant populations of blue crane and Stanley’s
bustard – both vulnerable – occur on the inland plains.
Numerous vleis, estuaries, rivers and wetlands are home to
at least 18 species of frogs and toads, including the critically
shot to extinction. Both the bontebok and Cape mountain
zebra were also almost eliminated.
But it isn’t all gloom. The endemic bontebok made a
remarkable comeback with the help of farmers and con-
servationists. By 1837 only a few small herds remained.
In that year farmer Alexander van Bijl rounded up the
last 27 bontebok on Earth and protected them on his farm.
Ninety years later, this remnant population had increased
to just 77 animals. The government came to its senses and in
1931 declared a farm just south of Bredasdorp as Bontebok
National Park (nowadays it’s further north near Swellendam).
Today, the national parks of Bontebok and Agulhas, and a
few other provincial nature reserves such as De Hoop, are
responsible for protecting what’s left in the region and for
restoring some semblance of the historical abundance.
Starting from scratchVery few large wild mammals are left near the southern
tip of Africa. Although 65 species have been recorded in
Agulhas, these are mostly rodents and small carnivores
such as honey badgers. But fynbos was the real reason
for the park’s proclamation in 1998.
Despite its relatively small size – just 72 kilometres long
According to the International Hydrographical Organisation,
the Atlantic and Indian oceans officially meet at the longi-
tudinal point of Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa.
This area falls within the national park and, along with the
nearby lighthouse, is the most visited site.
Early Portuguese navigators named it Cabo das Agulhas
(Cape of Needles). In the late 15th century magnetic north
(indicated by the needle of a compass) and true north co-
incided. However, in the past few centuries, the magnetic
variation has changed, so that today magnetic north is
about 26 degrees west of true north at Cape Agulhas.
Bartholomeu Diaz was the first European to see the
southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, although he initially
thought this honour lay with Cape Point, near Cape Town.
He wrongly believed the dramatic promontory on the Cape
Peninsula was the end of the continent and named present-
day Cape Agulhas as Ponta de Sao Brendao, after the Irish
monk St Brendan, on whose feast day of 16 May he had
landed. It was only in 1502 that Cabo de Agulhas first
appeared on a maritime chart.
and about 25 kilometres wide – Agulhas protects some of the
most endangered parts of the Cape Floral Kingdom. The park
began when SanParks purchased several small farms where
this unique fynbos was relatively intact.
The Agulhas region, which includes the park and farmland,
has about 2 500 species of plants, roughly 300 of which are
found nowhere else on Earth. Thirty-two species are threat-
ened with extinction. In some places, the concentration of
endemic plants is unparalleled anywhere in the world. It’s
endangered micro frog, the endangered Cape platanna and
western leopard toad, previously thought to exist only on the
Cape peninsula near Cape Town.
There are just two freshwater fish species, the Cape kurper
and Cape galaxias, both of which are near-threatened by the
introduction of alien fish such as bass. Crucially, however, the
Ratel River in the west of the park is free of aliens.
But SanParks isn’t doing it alone. Today, like 200 years ago
when locals saved the bontebok from extinction, farmers are
helping to restore the area’s fauna and flora. More than 2 700
square kilometres of private land around the 220-square
kilometre national park has been committed to sustainable
agriculture, of which almost a third is being formally con-
served in its natural state. The Nuwejaars Wetlands Special
Management Area is an organisation of 25 landowners in the
Overberg who have title deed restrictions signed against their
properties to ensure conservation principles are followed.
The Agulhas Biodiversity Initiative is the programme guiding
the region’s development.
Wild animals have been reintroduced and sustainable
harvesting of wild fynbos brings income to local communities.
Dirk Human from Black Oystercatcher Wines – the chairman of
the co-operative – now has 15 disease-free buffalo on his farm
aBove: The Agulhas shoreline was once one of the most fertile seas in the world, before being decimated by uncontrolled fishing and bait collecting.
aBove: The wooden chalets at Agulhas National Park have brilliant views over the fynbos and coastline, and are fully equipped for self-catering.
77www.getaway.co.za
Take a picture at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa.
Check out the nearby lighthouse.
Stay in one of the restored farm houses at Renosterkop or
in one of the new wooden cabins, which have beautiful views
over the coastline.
Rent Lagoon House, which is right on the rocks and is
perhaps the most beautifully situated accommodation in the San-
Parks network.
Go birding at Soetendalsvlei, Africa’s most southerly
freshwater lake.
Walk along the coastline to the beautiful dunes west of
Cape Agulhas and swim in the (usually) warm water.
Spot flowers. During spring, the veld is dotted with
thousands of special wild blooms.
79www.getaway.co.za
‘Examine the map of the world from north to south, from
east to west, and you will find there is not a spot upon the
face of God’s Earth where it is for the interest of so many
different nations that a lighthouse should be built as upon
the very spot in question, Cape L’Agulhas.’
So read an extract from the South African Commercial
Advertiser of 18 July 1840. The coastline of Cape Agulhas
is notoriously dangerous for ships and the shallow, rocky
reefs have ensnared many an ancient and modern vessel.
Because of this the lighthouse was commissioned in 1849
and cost £15 871. It was declared a national monument in
1973. It’s open to the public and you can climb the steps
to the top to enjoy the views of the Indian and Atlantic
oceans. There’s also a tea room and museum which are
worthwhile visiting. Tel 028-435-7580.
and the first calf to be born in Agulhas for more than 200
years was welcomed last year. The variety of wildlife in the
region includes bontebok, hartebeest and eland.
‘We’ve also reintroduced hippo, last seen here some
150 years ago,’ Dirk explained. ‘We’re slowly moving
towards bringing back the natural systems as they existed
in previous centuries.’
Saviours of the southOrganisations such as Unesco are lauding the partnership
between farmers and conservationists as a model for
elsewhere in the world, but who would have thought
humankind owed its very existence to the biodiversity of the
Agulhas region? A new international scientific study suggests
that the Agulhas Plain was the last place on Earth where our
modern ancestors were able to survive the most recent ice
age, between 120 000 and 190 000 years ago.
When temperatures started dropping, there may have been
about 10 000 human individuals on Earth, but after a huge
freeze there was a massive decline in population numbers.
Eventually, there were only about 1 000 people left – and they
all lived on the Agulhas Plain, which stretches from Gansbaai
in the west to De Hoop Nature Reserve in the east, and
includes Agulhas National Park at its centre.
‘Everybody alive today – whether you’re from America,
Asia, Europe or Africa – comes from this coast,’ said botanist
Professor Richard Cowling, who is working with a team of
international scientists studying the Agulhas area. ‘So far, all
the evidence collected supports this theory.’
Unlike the rest of the world, which either froze over or
succumbed to desert conditions as vast quantities of fresh
water were locked up in massive ice fields, this small part of
Africa remained hospitable, thanks mainly to the warming
effect of the Agulhas Current. Furthermore, it was the fynbos
and diverse shellfish of Agulhas which contributed to modern
human’s survival.
Year in the Wild Agulhas National Park
78 Getaway May 2012
cLockWise, from LefT: The famous lighthouse at Cape Agulhas; the egg of a small shark; Lagoon House is an old homestead right on the rocks near the Agulhas Rest Camp; the blue crane, of which there are only about 25 000 left in South Africa, can be seen at Cape Agulhas; the wooden chalets at Agulhas Rest Camp are well positioned; a limpet shell with seaweed attached on pebbles; the white-washed home-steads at Renosterkop have been beautifully renovated.
80 Getaway May 2012
Year in the Wild Agulhas National Park
Getting thereAgulhas National Park lies
about two-and-a-half hours
southeast of Cape Town,
about 30 km south of Bredas-
dorp. To get there, take the N2
from Cape Town, turn right to
Caledon and follow the signs
to Bredasdorp. Drive through
this town and follow the signs
to Cape Agulhas. The park’s
offices are in the town of
L’Agulhas, near the lighthouse.
The park isn’t fenced and can
also be accessed from the
R319 and R317 roads.
Where to stay Renosterkop comprises
three restored, whitewashed
farm cottages about 5 km
north of the rest camp on
old farm land. The two-
sleeper is R570 a night and
four-sleeper units cost R930
a cottage a night. All of them
have fully-equipped kitchens
and bathrooms.
Bergplaas Guesthouse
is a relatively modern build-
ing, about 35 km inland from
the lighthouse on an old farm.
There are five bedrooms, a
kitchen, lounge and dining
room. Four rooms have en
suite bathrooms. One bath-
room has been adapted for
wheelchairs. Costs R1 160 for
first four people and R172 for
each additional person up to
a maximum of 10 people.
The fully equipped, self-
catering Lagoon House is an
old homestead with four bed-
rooms and sleeps eight. Two
of the bedrooms have sepa-
Photojournalist Scott Ramsay is
documenting and photograph-
ing 31 of South Africa’s most
special nature reserves, includ-
ing all the national parks. Year
in the Wild is sponsored by
Total, Ford, Evosat, Goodyear, Frontrunner, Conqueror Trailers,
Vodacom, Digicape, Lacie, Garmin, National Luna, Safari Centre
Cape Town, Escape Gear and EeziAwn. For more, go to www.
yearinthewild.com and www.facebook.com/yearinthewild. You
can also follow his journey on blog.getaway.co.za.
rate external entrances and en
suite bathrooms, while the oth-
ers are in the house with a sin-
gle bathroom. There is also a
kitchen and living area. Costs
R2 365 for first six people and
R290 for each additional per-
son up to a maximum of eight.
Agulhas Rest Camp
has six fully equipped, self-
catering wooden chalets about
10 km from the lighthouse,
each with en suite bathrooms
and superb views over the
fynbos and ocean. Two-sleeper
chalets cost R840 a unit a
night and four-sleeper chalets
are R1 560 a unit a night.
Rietfontein, a self-catering
homestead in the west of the
park, burnt down in recent fires
and is currently being restored.
Who to contactCentral reservations, tel 012-
428-9111, email reservations@
sanparks.org, www.sanparks.
org. Park offices, tel 028-435-
6222, email agulhasinfo@san-
parks.org.
Accommodation price ratings: a person a night, usually B&B, sometimes full board under R250 R251 – R499 R500 – R750 R751 – R999 R1000+
‘The fynbos biome has the richest bulb flora of any
vegetation in the world,’ the professor said. ‘The abun-
dance on the Agulhas Plain is phenomenal. We reckon
there could be as much as 400 kilograms a hectare of
bulbs, tubers and corms. They’re an excellent source of
good carbohydrates, especially when cooked.’
But not only were carbohydrates abundant, there was
also plenty of protein. Here, the Agulhas Current mixes
continuously with the cooler Benguela Current, creating
unique conditions for a fecund marine ecosystem, which
provided plenty of easily collected food such as limpets,
mussels, oysters, abalone and alikreukel.
Prospective marine protected areaToday, although the terrestrial part of Agulhas National
Park is formally protected, everything below the high-
water mark is open to fishing and exploitation. Most of
the past wealth of shellfish has disappeared and illegal
fishing and unsustainable catch sizes have all but de-
stroyed the marine biodiversity.
It’s something park authorities would like to change
and a proposed marine protected area would ensure
the marine habitat is allowed to revive itself.
‘This coastline has been seriously overfished,’
Ettienne said. ‘It desperately needs protection, but
it’s a long, political process and we need the support
of the community.’
The abundance of shellfish and fynbos helped
humans survive the last ice age, and the declaration
of an Agulhas marine protected area would go a long
way to repaying the debt humankind owes to nature
in this part of the world.
So although it’s unlikely you’ll see herds of elephant
at the famous Agulhas lighthouse in the next few decades,
it’s quite possible that in a few years you’ll be able to spot
bontebok and buffalo grazing at the southern tip of Africa,
while marvelling at teeming marine life in the rock pools.
And one day, perhaps, it will be this biodiversity
which again plays a crucial role in saving humankind
from extinction.