Bruce Damer's Cape Province South Africa picture gallery

The Cape of Good Hope was once called the Cape of Storms due to the dangerously unpredictable weather which dashed many ships on its hazardous shores. The Cape is a very worthwhile visit today for its spectacular views, unique ecosystem comprised of nearly 1500 species of the same plant, Fynbos.

Nearby Cape Town with its cloud cloth enveloped Table Mountain can be counted among the world's most beautiful cities.

View along the Cape of Good Hope near Simons Town	Incoming storm front as seen over the Fynbos on the Cape of Good Hope
View from the Cape of Good Hope toward Cape Hangklip and beyond that toward the southernmost point in Africa (Cape Agulhas)	Cape Crew: Bruce Damer, Sandra Braman, Shane Blakebrough
Dry flowers of a species of Fynbos, Cape of Good Hope	Protea flowering in the strange setting of the Cape of Good Hope
Protea in bloom, Cape of Good Hope	Stamen on Protea
Lichen on the Cape of Good Hope	More Lichen
Cape Baboon, the terror of the town below	Penguin on the Cape
Wright Whale heading for Antarctica	View of Cape Town

Site visitor Comments

By Andynix in South Africa:

Hi, your page of pics from the Cape Peninsula popped up while I was doing a search trying to id some lichens. Even though it wasn't what I was looking for, I enjoyed taking a break from work and looking at your photos.

There are a few facts that are incorrect though, which bothered me enough to email you:

firstly, "...unique ecosystem comprised of nearly 1500 species of the same plant, Fynbos."

Fynbos is not a plant, it is the name of a vegetation type which is characterised by three main plant families: proteas, ericas and restios, as well as members of seven endemic plant families. There are over 8000 plant species in the fynbos biome, over 5000 of which are endemic. On Table Mountain alone there are 1470 different species.

your "Dry flowers of a species of Fynbos" are from the Asteraceae (daisy) family and are called everlastings - "Helichrysum vestitum".

the "Protea flowering in the strange setting" and "Protea in bloom" is the "Leucospermum conocarpodendron" or Yellow pincusion (and, like a daisy, each one of those "stamens" are in fact the styles and stigmas of individual flowers, all making up the inflorecence. The stamens are the little curly bits tucked underneath.)

the "Wright Whale" is actually a Southern Right Whale, so named in the 1800's because they are slow moving, have lots of blubber, and float when dead - which meant they were the right whales to hunt.

your "Flower on Table Mountain" is a Watsona tabularis - indigenous to the Cape Floral Kingdom, and now grown in gardens world wide!

and the "More flowers on Table Mountain" is Erica plukenetti, one of the few wind polinated heaths.

Lastly, it's Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, in Cape Town.

cheers,

andy

Cape Town, Table Mountain and environs
Click on the images to get a larger view

New cable cars ascending to Table Mountain	Views of the cliffs on Table Mountain
Views from Table Mountain toward Green Point between Sea Point and the City	View of central Cape Town from Table Mountain
A Dassie on Table Mountain, closest relative of the elephant!	Descent back down Table Mountain
Flower on Table Mountain	More flowers on Table Mountain
Statue in Cape Town Botatical Gardens	Rhodes Memorial, Cape Town