Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...
province of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. Lying on the Sandveld of the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
Geography Australia
* Western Australia
*Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia
* West Coast, Tasmania
**West Coast Range, mountain range in the region
Canada
* Britis ...
, the river runs past
Eendekuil
Eendekuil is a settlement in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Situated 30 km (19 mi) north of Piketberg, the village was the terminus of the Cape Town railway until the end of the Anglo-Boe ...
, Het Kruis, and
Redelinghuys
Redelinghuys is a village in the Bergrivier Local Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located about north of Cape Town on the Verlorevlei River. The 2001 Census recorded the population as 581 people in 167 households. The ...
. The river mouth is located at Elands Bay. Its tributaries include the Hol River, Kruismans River and the Krom Antonies River. It falls within the Drainage system G and the Management Area.
The river is the only known habitat of the endangered Verlorenvlei redfin.
Around 30 km northwest of Redelinghuys, a marshy lake feeds the river. In the winter, it is kilometers long, and the water is concealed under the green reeds. In summer, the lake runs dry. 500 species of
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
s have been spotted here. The lake is popular with
bird watchers
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 ...
and anglers alike. One of the country's few freshwater lakes by the coast, Verlorevlei Lake is an important breeding and feeding ground for
pelican
Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...
s, flamingoes, and other bird and fish species. Many species of plants are also found there. Cattle graze on the shores and water is pumped out for irrigation.
Simon van der Stel
Simon van der Stel (14 October 1639 – 24 June 1712) was the last commander and first Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony, the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope.
Background
Simon was the son of Adriaan van der Steland Maria Lievens ...
visited in 1685 on his journey to Namaqualand, and he was under the impression that the river was a tributary of the Olifants River. Ensign Johannes Tobias Rhenius saw the lake as "lost" in the reeds in 1724, giving it its name ("verlore" is
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
for "lost," "vlei" for "lake"). In 1991, the
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
was named a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**