25/10/2017
Stony Point Nature Reserve is home to one of the largest successful breeding colonies of African Penguin in the world.
Located in the quaint coastal town of Betty’s Bay in the Overberg, the Stony Point Nature Reserve is home to a unique colony of African Penguins. Stony Point offers the public the chance to see these wonderful flightless birds up close, via the boardwalk through the colony, which allows the public to observe the penguins go about their daily activities in their natural habitat, without disturbing or disrupting them.
Also present in the colony are three species of cormorant; the Crowned cormorant, Cape cormorant and Bank cormorant, all of which breed on the outer rocks. There are also Hartlaub’s Gulls and Kelp Gulls which forage in the colony, while the Rock Hyrax, more commonly known as the Dassie, can be seen on the surrounding rocks.
The colony lies on the site of the old Waaygat Whaling Station, which was used to harvest and process whale meat in the early to mid 1900s. Remnants of the machinery and infrastructure for this long-defunct industry can still be found at the site.
Stony Point Nature Reserve contact information
Operating hours: 08:00 – 16:30 (last permits issued at 16:00, gates close at 16:30 sharp)
Reserve office phone number: +27 (0) 28 272 9829
Emergency number: +27 (0)28 271 5138 (Answering machine will refer to officer on duty)
Cellphone reception: Yes.
GPS: 34 37 14.21 S, 18 89 32.65 E