Swakopmund in Namibia

A woman is simultaneously reading the newspaper and feeding a gull on Palm beach in Swakopmund.

These houses are located along Arnold Schad Promenade near Palm beach in Swakopmund.

This parking lot is located near the “Strand Hotel Swakopmund” in Swakopmund.

The Atlantic Ocean as seen from Palm beach in Swakopmund.

Gulls are wandering along Palm beach in Swakopmund.

This is the northern part of Palm beach in Swakopmund.

Palm beach in Swakopmund.

Swakopmund, known as Swakop in Namibia is the country's biggest coastal town and a mecca for Namibians on holiday.

The Swakopmund Museum as seen from Palm beach in Swakopmund.

The huge boulders are on Palm beach in Swakopmund.

The Jetty Bridge is located on Palm beach in Swakopmund.

Swakopmund is a good starting point for trips up the Skeleton Coast.

120 km north of Swakopmund lies Cape Cross, where every October to December about 100,000 of the Cape Fur Seals breed.

This parking lot belongs to the “Strand Hotel Swakopmund” in Swakopmund.

The tickets are available at the reception of Cape Cross Seal Reserve.

The brown fur seals are at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve.

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve in Namibia

The monument to Pieter Stephanus Gouws is installed at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve.

The brown fur seal “Arctocephalus pusillus”.

The brown fur seal is also known as the Cape fur seal, South African fur seal and the Australian fur seal.

The brown fur seal lives around the southern and southwestern coast of Africa.

Brown fur seals prefer to haul out and breed on rocky islands, rock ledges and reefs, and pebble and boulder beaches.

This is the parking lot at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve.

Brown fur seals are relaxing on the plastic footpath at the entrance gate leading to the sightseeing trail.

The brown fur seal's diet is made of up to 70% fish, 20% squid and 2% crab.

Brown fur seals may feed on different crustaceans, cephalopods and sometimes birds.

The footpath leading to the sightseeing trail is full of brown fur seals.

A juvenile brown fur seal is sleeping on the plastic footpath.

Brown fur seals lie beside the parking lot at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve.

A walk through the fur seal colony is amazing.

Brown fur seals have even been documented attacking and eating sharks.

The brown fur seal dives for its food.

This is the world's largest breeding colony of Cape fur seals.

The brown fur seal can dive as deep as 204 m and for as long as 7.5 minutes.

Some large colonies of the brown fur seal can be found on sandy beaches.

The brown fur seal's main predator is the great white shark.

Brown fur seals spend most of the year at sea, but are never too far from land.

Brown fur seals often gather into colonies on rookeries in numbers ranging from 500 to 1500.

When at sea, fur seals travel in small feeding groups.

Gestation for the brown fur seal lasts an average of 11.75 months.

The Cape fur seal nursing her pup at the Cape Cross Seal Reserve.

The Cape fur seal is an inquisitive and friendly animal when in the water, and will often accompany scuba divers.

On land, the Cape fur seal is far less relaxed than in water and tend to panic when people come near them.

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve lies close to the coastal towns of Swakopmund and Henties Bay within the West Coast National Park.

In 1884 the first sighting of Cape fur seals off the coast of Southern Africa was recorded.

The Cape Cross Nature Reserve is the largest Cape fur seal colony in the world.

During the breeding season in November and December, there may be up to 210 000 seals at Cape Cross.

The females of the brown fur seal, breeding in synchrony once a year, fishing in the nutrient-rich waters of the Benguela Current.

The Cape fur seal, Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus, is the largest of the world's nine fur-seal species.

The black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) is at the Cape Cross Nature Reserve in Namibia, October 2017

A black-backed jackal “Canis mesomelas” is wandering with bloody mouth amidst the fur seal colony.

A small population of black-backed jackals have adapted their behaviour to live in the harsh environment of the Skeleton Coast.

Land-based predators of the Cape fur seal include black-backed jackals and brown hyenas.

A cacophony of bleats and barks fills the air, as massive bulls fight for the right to dominate territory and mate with females.

Located off the C34, the main coastal road, the Cape Cross Seal Reserve is 430 km from Windhoek.

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve was established to protect the largest breeding colony of Cape fur seals in the world.

The brown fur seal is the largest and most robust fur seal.

The brown fur seal is a large seal species of Australia and South Africa.

The adult male brown fur seal has a light greyish-brown body and a dark brown belly.

The female brown fur seal is browner than the male, but still has the darker brown belly.

Pups of the brown fur seal are born black.

Juveniles of the brown fur seal are generally the same colour as the female, but have lighter fur below the jaw and behind the ears.

A 200-metre walkway constructed of recycled plastic is suitable for wheelchairs.

The ability to turn the flippers forward helps distinguish fur seals from “true” seals (species in the family Phocidae).

Brown fur seals are one of the larger fur seals and rather similar to many sea lions.

There are two subspecies the South African or Cape fur seal, and the Australian fur seal of south eastern Australia and Tasmania.

The brown fur seal has a large and broad head with a pointed snout that may be flat or upturned slightly.

The brown fur seal can be found in a number of locations including Africa and Australia.

Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus can be found along the southern and southwestern coast of Africa.

The brown fur seal are commonly spotted throughout Namibia and as far east as Port Elizabeth.

Males of the Cape fur seal subspecies, A. p. pusillus, are an average of 2.3 meters in length and weigh from 200 to 350 kg.

Female African fur seals are smaller than male fur seals, weighing an average of 120 kg.

Female African fur seals are measuring an average of 1.8 meters long.

A female African fur seal is nursing her pup.

These seals spend most of the year at sea and show obvious sexual dimorphism - the males are considerably larger than the females.

South African fur seal pups are anywhere from 4.5 to 7 kg and 60-70 cm at birth, which occurs in late November or early December.

This is the starting point of the 200-metre walkway constructed of recycled plastic.

South African fur seals are more abundant than are Australian fur seals.

The head of the adult male brown fur seal is larger and broader than that of the female.

I was amazed by the sounds which brown fur seals produced.

These lovely muzzles belong to brown fur seals.

Brown fur seals are photographed on the background of the Atlantic Ocean.

The head of the adult male brown fur seal has a low brow, which is lacking in the female.

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is a must see destination for every tourist.

Today Cape Cross is a protected area owned by the government of Namibia under the name Cape Cross Seal Reserve.

This is the lovely head of a brown fur seal.

A yawning brown fur seal.

A brown fur seal has opened his mouth widely.

Cape Cross has both historic and biological significance and is a popular tourist attraction.

This reserve is a sanctuary for the world's largest breeding colony of Cape fur seals, with up to 210 000 seals.

This brown fur seal has something liquid in his nose.

Sustainable seal harvesting takes place in the reserve annually under the auspices of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources sets the quota of seals to be harvested.

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is one of Namibia's most visited parks.

Cape Cross is a gateway to the Messum Crater and the Brandberg Mountain to the east and Skeleton Coast Park to the north.

Cape Cross may seem like the kind of place with nothing to do except to see the seals but don't be fooled by its barren appearance.

Whether you are camping at the Seal Reserve or staying at the Cape Cross Lodge, there is more to do than just looking blankly at the sea.

Visiting the seals must be the reason why you are here, so don't just hang around them for a few minutes.

The smell can be overpowering but you have to stick around for a while to be rewarded with great behavior displays.

A brown fur seal is loudly barking.

November is an amazing time to visit and to witness the birth of seals.

The seal colony at Cape Cross is the breeding place of the Cape fur seals, which are actually a species of sea lion.

Along the Namibian and South African coast there are 24 colonies with a seal population of about 650 000 animals.

Brown fur seals are slightly reduced every year because they are still desired and apparently they eat too much fish.

Brown fur seals consume a lot of fish, approximately up to 8% of their own body weight daily.

Brown fur seals also eat cattle fish and crust fish.

Cape Cross Cape fur seal colony.

Although brown fur seals feed up to 52% on non-commercial fish the fishing industry think that they are a disadvantage to the industry.

A seal fur is very soft.

Brown fur seals have a thick layer of short soft fur, which is protected by a layer of longer, harder hair.

The bottom layer of a fur, as well as the fat formation under the skin give seals a good isolation against the cold Benguela current.

The brown fur seal population reached approximately 250 000 in 1993.

The sight of more than 100 000 seals basking on the beach and frolicking in the surf is impressive.

The overwhelming odoriferousness of stinky seal poo is everywhere.

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is a place in Namibia where seals are culled for selling their hides and for protecting the fish stock.

The sheer number of seals is fascinating, they are literally everywhere - in the water, on land, underneath the wooden walk ways.

Cape Cross in Namibia is known mainly as a breeding reserve for thousands of Cape fur seals.

The male seals can weigh from 187 kg to 360 kg and are very territorial whilst looking after their harem of 5 to 25 females.

I thought most of brown fur seals might have been a little distance away from the boardwalks.

A big tourist car is at the parking lot.

Cow seals are a lot smaller than bulls, they only weigh up to 75 kg.

You are so close to Cape fur seals you can reach out and touch them.

Seals piled up everywhere on the shore and dotted through the water's edge until you can barely make out the specks of them.

Brown fur seals are snoring, snorting, yelling, sleeping, creeping, rolling their eyes.

This is a unique opportunity to stand amidst a huge brown fur seals colony.

Brown fur seals are laying on top of each other, draped over rocks, or playing in the surf.

The entry fee to the Cape Cross Seal Reserve is very cheap and you can spend as long as you want.

There are great views of the coastline at the reserve.

The Cape Cross seal colony is really worth a visit to see the huge numbers of seals both onshore and in the water.

The funny thing was watching tourists at the seal reserve stuffing tissues up their nostrils or holding their nose because of the supposing smell.

The seal quantity is quite staggering and it's certainly a great opportunity for photographers.

Once you arrive you are bowled over by the odour and the noise but after few minutes the odour isn't too bad and the noises they make are funny.

There are lots of pups waddling around and suckling their mums.

This is the end of the “wooden” observing walkway.

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is a great place for the family to watch brown fur seals in nature and face to face.

You will smell brown fur seals before you actually see them.

This is the parking lot.

Thousands of brown fur seals, both on land and in the water, await you if you venture to this part of Namibia.

This is actually a pretty fun place to visit as you are extremely close to all of the seals.

The monument to Pieter Stephanus Gouws.

I won't say you will get used to the smell, but what soon overcame the smell for me was the cacophony.

Wild brown fur seals are not friendly, so if they feel threatened they will bare their teeth.