Gansbaai

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Gansbaai is a small fishing town and popular tourist spot in the Western Cape of South Africa. The name means “bay of geese.” It sits on the coast near Walker Bay and is famous for its wildlife and sea adventures.

What to see and do
- Great white sharks: Gansbaai is known as the great white shark capital of the world. Tourists come for shark cage diving and related boat trips.
- Whale watching: The area is a great place to see southern right whales, especially from the De Kelders coastline.
- Dyer Island and Geyser Rock: Nearby islands host penguin colonies and a large fur seal population. The channel between them, often called Shark Alley, is a well-known waterway. The islands are part of a protected nature reserve and aren’t open to casual visitors.
- Klipgat Cave: Located in the Walker Bay Nature Reserve near De Kelders, this site is an important archaeological spot with early Khoi history.
- Danger Point Lighthouse: Built in 1895 to help ships avoid hazards in the area, where many shipwrecks have occurred, including the Birkenhead in 1852.
- Platbos Forest and Reforest Fest: Platbos is the southernmost indigenous forest in South Africa, part of the Cape Floristic Region. Reforest Fest promotes conservation and forest restoration.
- Birkenhead Rock: A nearby wreck site with historical significance.

History and economy
The area was first inhabited by Khoi people long before white settlers arrived in the late 18th century. The first white fishermen built cottages in 1811, and Gansbaai grew around fishing. A modern fish-processing industry helped the town develop and become a municipality in 1963. Today, fishing remains important, but tourism—especially shark diving and whale watching—plays a major and growing role in the economy.

Wildlife and nature
Offshore, Dyer Island and Geyser Rock form a protected colony area. Dyer Island hosts penguins (thousands in recent years) and Geyser Rock is home to tens of thousands of fur seals. The water between the islands is known as Shark Alley.

Population and language
In 2011, about 11,600 people lived in Gansbaai. Most residents speak Afrikaans or Xhosa, with English and other languages also spoken.