Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve (also spelt "Sandvlei") is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

and recreational area located in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

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 ...

Background

Entering the ocean in the suburb of

Muizenberg Muizenberg ( , Dutch for "mice mountain") is a beach-side town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is situated where the shore of the Cape Peninsula curves round to the east on the False Bay coast. It is considered to be the main surfing spo ...

, Zandvlei is the only functioning estuary on Cape Town’s

False Bay False Bay (Afrikaans ''Valsbaai'') is a body of water in the Atlantic Ocean between the mountainous Cape Peninsula and the Hottentots Holland Mountains in the extreme south-west of South Africa. The mouth of the bay faces south and is demarcat ...

coast, open to the Atlantic Ocean throughout winter and in summer the mouth is manually closed by a sand bar to contain the water, and is opened monthly for a few days at full moon to maintain salinity levels and then closed again. It is also one of the most important estuaries for recruitment of fish such as garrick, steenbras and two species of stumpnose. The surrounding

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 ...

is an important habitat for birds and has 166 species on its official list. There are a number of bird hides available to the public. It is also a vital habitat for amphibians and about 20 species of reptile such as the

angulate tortoise The angulate tortoise (''Chersina angulata'') is a species of tortoise found in dry areas and coastal scrubland, scrub vegetation in South Africa. This tortoise is the monotypic, only known member of the genus ''Chersina''. Name and taxonomy Thi ...

, marsh terrapin and

mole snake The mole snake (''Pseudaspis cana'') is a species of snake. It has been placed in the family Lamprophiidae, and more recently in the family Pseudaspididae, along with the genus ''Pythonodipsas''. It is native to much of southern Africa, and is ...

. Porcupines, grysbok,

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...

s and

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to so ...

can also occasionally be spotted. The plant life is typical of

Cape Flats Dune Strandveld Cape Flats Dune Strandveld is an endangered vegetation type. This is a unique type of Cape Strandveld that is endemic to the coastal areas around Cape Town, including the Cape Flats. Habitat ''Strandveld'' means “beach scrub” in the Afrikaans ...

and Cape Wetland vegetation. Rare or interesting plants include '' Gladiolus angustus'' and '' Salvia africana-lutea''. The estuary was neglected in the past, and suffered from farming, urban development, dredging and the introduction of alien

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

. The original vegetation has been partly restored through local government and volunteer efforts. There is now an Environmental Education Centre and the reserve is home to the Imperial Yacht Club and Peninsula Canoe Club.

SCOUTS South Africa Scouts South Africa is the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) recognised Scout association in South Africa. Scouting began in the United Kingdom in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell and rapidly spread to South Africa, ...

operate their

Sea Scout Sea Scouts are a part of the Scout movement, with a particular emphasis on boating and other water-based activities on the sea, rivers or lakes (canoeing, rafting, scuba, sailboarding). Sea Scouts can provide a chance to sail, cruise on boats, ...

base from there, conducting sailing and rowing regattas there, in addition to various training courses and the annual

Kon-Tiki The ''Kon-Tiki'' expedition was a 1947 journey by raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl. The raft was named ''Kon-Tiki'' after the Inca god Viracocha, fo ...

raft building A raft is any flat structure for support or transportation over water. It is usually of basic design, characterized by the absence of a hull. Rafts are usually kept afloat by using any combination of buoyant materials such as wood, sealed barre ...

competition. Fishing is popular, with many large garrick having been landed. A standard fishing permit is required.

Gallery

File:Muizenberg with Zandvlei.jpg , View of Muizenberg suburbs with Zandvlei estuary in the background File:Wikimania 2018, Cape Town ( 1050505).jpg , View over the estuary File:Rafts on Sandvlei during the Kon-Tiki Scout Adventure at Lakeside in Cape Town.jpg , alt=Colourful rafts on a lake, Rafts on Sandvlei during the Kon-Tiki Adventure for Scouts and Guides at Lakeside, Cape Town in 2006

References

{{Cape Town, natural Nature reserves in Cape Town Protected areas of the Western Cape Wetlands of South Africa

Background

Gallery

See also

References