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Kommetjie, Cape Town
Kommetjie (Afrikaans for "small basin," approximately pronounced ''cawma-key'') is a small town near Cape Town, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It lies about halfway down the west coast of the Cape Peninsula, at the southern end of the long wide beach that runs northwards towards Chapman's Peak and Noordhoek. The community of Ocean View is located to its immediate south east. It was founded in 1902 when a consortium of businessmen developed the area as a residential suburb of Cape Town. The town was modernised in the 1960s when electricity and municipal running water was installed. The area is a popular spot for surfing, since powerful waves from the Atlantic Ocean rise up over rocky reefs formed by hard sandstones of the Table Mountain Group. Wherever the bottom is rocky, the shallower waters are thick with giant kelp forests. Kommetjie is famous for its excellent crayfishing although changes in fishing quotas which have drastically reduced the daily catch allo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hout Bay
Hout Bay ( af, Houtbaai, meaning "Wood Bay") is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated in a valley on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, twenty kilometres south of Cape Town. The name "Hout Bay" can refer to the town, the bay on which it is situated, or the entire valley. The area was originally made up of two farms, which were slowly subdivided to make way for urban expansion. While still maintaining its rural atmosphere, the area of Hout Bay has more than 5,960 residences inhabited by a population of at least 17,900 people (as of 2011). Pronunciation The pronunciation of "Hout Bay" varies: * Afrikaans Pronunciation: ''həʊ-'t bʌɪ / hoe-'t'' (contracted "t") bye. * English Pronunciation: ''həʊ-'t beɪ / hoe-'t'' (contracted "t") bay. * Adapted English Pronunciation: ''haʊ-'t beɪ / how-'t'' (contracted "t") bay. History Pre-colonisation From remains found in a cave, we know that people lived in this cave between 100 AD and 5 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noordhoek, Cape Town
Noordhoek is a seaside town in the Western Cape, South Africa, located below Chapman's Peak on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula and is approximately to the south of Cape Town. The name "Noordhoek" was taken from Dutch and literally means "north corner". It was given this name in 1743 as being the northern corner of the Slangkop farm. The first permanent resident of European origin is Jaco Malan who built his house there. In 1857, the region was divided into six plots, most of which were bought by a single family, that of the de Villiers. Noordhoek nevertheless remains a predominantly rural area where farmers grow vegetables to supply ships calling at Simon's Town. It is best known for its shoreline and its long, wide, sandy beach, which stretches south to the neighbouring village of Kommetjie. Near the southern end of this beach is the wreck of the steamship "Kakapo", which ran aground in 1900, when the captain mistook Chapman's Peak for the Cape of Good Hope and put the helm o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Bertish
Chris Bertish is a South African surfer, stand-up paddleboarder, adventurer, and motivational speaker. In 2004 he gained recognition as the owner of 'Best Cribbar Barrel Vision Ever' after he pulled into a giant closeout at the infamous big wave spot in Cornwall. He won the Mavericks Big Wave Surf contest in 2009. In March 2017 he completed the first solo, unsupported stand-up paddle board (SUP) crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. He did it while supporting charitable organizations. He has also set other SUP world records. His efforts moved an obscure sport onto the forefront of many important media outlets. Background In February 2010, Bertish competed at the 2009/10 Mavericks Surf Contest near Half Moon Bay, Northern California, winning the $50,000 big-wave surf competition. Watched by 50,000 spectators, the contestants experienced waves in excess of . Bertish arrived at the competition without his equipment and had to borrow a board to compete. In 2016, a failed attempt a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fynbos
Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate and rainy winters. The fynbos ecoregion is within the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. In fields related to biogeography, fynbos is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity and endemism, consisting of about 80% (8,500 fynbos) species of the Cape floral kingdom, where nearly 6,000 of them are endemic. This land continues to face severe human-caused threats, but due to the many economic uses of the fynbos, conservation efforts are being made to help restore it. Overview and history The word fynbos is often confusingly said to mean "fine bush" in Afrikaans, as "bos" means "bush". Typical fynbos foliage is ericoid rather than fine. The term, in its pre-Afrikaans, Dutch form, ''fynbosch'', was recorded by Nob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by listening for bird sounds, or by watching public webcams. Most birdwatchers pursue this activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike ornithologists, who engage in the study of birds using formal scientific methods. Birding, birdwatching, and twitching The first recorded use of the term ''birdwatcher'' was in 1901 by Edmund Selous; ''bird'' was introduced as a verb in 1918. The term ''birding'' was also used for the practice of ''fowling'' or hunting with firearms as in Shakespeare's '' The Merry Wives of Windsor'' (1602): "She laments sir... her husband goes this morning a-birding." The terms ''birding'' and ''birdwatching'' are today used by some interchangeably, although some participants prefer ''birding'', partly because it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sideroxylon Inerme
''Sideroxylon inerme'' (aMasethole or white milkwood, af, wit-melkhout, xh, Ximafana, zu, Umakhwelafingqane) is a Southern African coastal tree, with dense foliage, black berries and small, foetid, greenish flowers. The tree's generic name means "Iron-wood" in Greek, referring to its very hard timber. It is one of South Africa's "Protected Trees" and several specimens are provincial heritage sites.'' Sideroxylon inerme'' in Freddie Bosman' site, from the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. This is the only member of the genus ''Sideroxylon'' in southern Africa. Distribution [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and invasive species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List lists the global conservation status of many species, and various other agencies assess the status of species within particular areas. Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species which, for example, forbid hunting, restrict land development, or create protected areas. Some endangered species are the target of extensive conservation efforts such as captive breeding and habitat restoration. Human activity is a significant cause in causing some species to become endangered. Conservation status The conservation status of a species indicates the likelihood that it will become extinct. Multiple factors are considered when assessing the s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cape Town Cycle Tour
The Cape Town Cycle Tour is an annual cycle race hosted in Cape Town, South Africa, usually long. It is the first event outside Europe to be included in the Union Cycliste Internationale's Golden Bike Series. South Africa hosts some of the largest, by the number of entrants, sporting events in the world with three being the largest of their type. The Cape Town Cycle Tour, with as many as 35 000 cyclists taking part, is the world's largest individually timed cycle race. The other two are the world's largest ultra-marathon running event, the Comrades Marathon, and the world's largest open water swim, the Midmar Mile. The Cycle Tour formed the last leg of the Giro del Capo, a multi-stage race for professional and leading registered riders which was last run in 2010. It is traditionally staged on the second Sunday of March and has enjoyed well-known competitors such as Miguel Indurain, Jan Ulrich, Matt Damon, Helen Zille and Lance Armstrong. Route In recent years the race has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ou Kaapse Weg
Ou Kaapse Weg (Afrikaans for ''Old Cape Way''), numbered as route M64, is a mountain pass in the Cape Peninsula that connects the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town with the Fish Hoek Valley. It traverses the Steenberg mountains and passes through the Silvermine Nature Reserve. Ou Kaapse Weg is one of three routes to the Fish Hoek Valley: the others are Chapman's Peak Drive along the Atlantic coast and Main Road along the False Bay coast. Despite its name, the pass was only constructed in 1968, by the Divisional Council of the Cape. Ou Kaapse Weg begins at a T-junction with Steenberg Road in Westlake, close to the southern end of the M3 expressway. It rapidly ascends the northern face of the Steenberg mountains, through two hairpin bends, to the summit at an elevation of . Near to the summit are entrance gates to the Silvermine Nature Reserve. The pass then descends along the valley of the Silvermine River, passing by Noordhoek to end at a junction with Kommetjie Road ( M6 road ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slangkop Lighthouse
Slangkop Lighthouse is a lighthouse near the town of Kommetjie, near Cape Town, South Africa. History Construction was due to be completed in 1914 and a brass sign was commissioned for this date, but due to the First World War the lighthouse was not completed until 1919, although definitely in use before that date, e.g. noted in the log of HMS Himalaya on 19 July 1917. The lighthouse was inaugurated on 4 March 1919. The white circular iron tower stands 33m high. The lighthouse is a tourist attraction for those visiting the area. Gallery File:Slangkop Lighthouse.JPG, Slangkop Lighthouse File:Slangkop lighthouse, Kommetjie.jpg See also * List of lighthouses in South Africa * List of heritage sites in South Africa This is a list of national and provincial heritage sites in South Africa, as declared by the South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA) and the nine provincial heritage resources authorities. The list is maintained by SAHRA by means of an on ... Reference ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fishing Quota
Catch share is a fishery management system that allocates a secure privilege to harvest a specific area or percentage of a fishery's total catch to individuals, communities, or associations. Examples of catch shares are individual transferable quota (ITQs), individual fishing quota (IFQs), territorial use rights for fishing (TURFs), limited access privileges (LAPs), sectors (also known as cooperatives), and dedicated access privileges (DAPs). Catch shares provide long-term secure privileges to participants and, in theory, an incentive for efficient, sustainable use of fish stocks. Actual outcomes in terms of efficiency and ecological sustainability are varied, based on design and implementation of the program. Catch share programs generally fall into two categories. Quota-based programs, like ITQs, establish a fishery-wide catch limit, assign portions (or shares) of the catch to participants and hold participants directly accountable to stay within the catch limit. Area-based prog ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spiny Lobster
Spiny lobsters, also known as langustas, langouste, or rock lobsters, are a family (Palinuridae) of about 60 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia. Spiny lobsters are also, especially in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and The Bahamas, called crayfish, sea crayfish, or crawfish ("kreef" in South Africa), terms which elsewhere are reserved for freshwater crayfish. Classification The furry lobsters (''e.g.'' ''Palinurellus'') were previously separated into a family of their own, the Synaxidae, but are usually considered members of the Palinuridae. The slipper lobsters (Scyllaridae) are their next-closest relatives, and these two or three families make up the Achelata. Genera of spiny lobsters include ''Palinurus'' and a number of anagrams thereof: ''Panulirus'', ''Linuparus'', ''etc.'' (Palinurus was a helmsman in Virgil's ''Æneid''.) In total, 12 extant genera are recognised, containing around 60 living species: *''Jasus'' Parker, 1883 * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
