Cape Town’s beaches are currently playing host to some extraordinary visitors: Southern elephant seals! These gentle giants have come ashore to moult, a crucial process where they shed their old skin and fur to regenerate.
Cape Town, South Africa (10 December 2024) – Summer is here, the sun’s out and Cape Town’s shores have recently been graced by some fascinating (and rather large) visitors from the South Atlantic Ocean: Southern elephant seals!
Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation has put out a public service announcement, alerting beachgoers that as magnificent as these creatures are, this season is a crucial time for elephant seals, as they need to remain on land for nearly a month while they shed the outermost layer of their skin and fur to regrow afresh.
“These seals are vagrant species that have hauled out on some of Cape Town’s beaches to moult,” shares the aquarium.
The Marine Wildlife Management team encourages the public to respect the seals’ personal space by staying at least 20m away at all times, minimising noise and movement as well as keeping dogs on a leash.
“With this in mind, the elephant seal can complete its moult uninterrupted, and we can enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime sight from a safe distance.”
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Sources: Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation
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