Black-backed jackals hunting among Cape fur seals at Cape Cross Seal Reserve in Namibia's Skeleton Coast
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Cape Cross Seal Reserve

A protected coastal area home to the world's largest colony of Cape fur seals

Thousands of perpetually moving bodies make the Cape Cross Seal Reserve one of the largest ...
Thousands of perpetually moving bodies make the Cape Cross Seal Reserve one of the largest Cape fur seal colonies along the southern African coast. Visitors to the reserve can expect to be overwhelmed by the sensory overload of so many writhing seals in one place, not to mention their pungent scent. The reserve is named after the stone cross erected on the site by Portuguese explorer Diogo Cão in 1486 and was created to offer protection to the since fully-recovered seal population.

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Best time to go to Cape Cross Seal Reserve

The Cape Cross Seal Reserve is open to visitors year-round. The warmest time to visit is during the summer months between January and February. The seal population is at its largest during the breeding season, which is between October and January. July is the coldest month, except during “east wind”, which can see stifling temperatures of 30+ degrees.

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  • January

  • February

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Best

January

Best

February

Good

March

Good

April

Good

May

Acceptable

June

Acceptable

July

Acceptable

August

Good

September

Best

October

Best

November

Best

December

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What our travellers are saying

With super short notice, they organised a trip that was just perfect. Loved everything about it! Will definitely recommend Viatu to all my friends!

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Margherita

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Our Viatu experience was just amazing, starting with the first discussions and the planning of our trip to Namibia. The Viatu team did a great job planning the trip according to our wishes and preferences.

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Stefano

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We booked our 3.5-week honeymoon with Viatu, and it was simply wonderful! We had the most amazing time in South Africa and will book holidays with Viatu again!

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Linda

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I spent one of my most exciting and beautiful holidays with Viatu in Namibia. From unforgettable game drives, lodges with stunning locations, delicious food and an adventurous cycling trip through the desert, we got the full package.

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Manuel

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From the first contact to trip preparation and implementation as well as support during the trip, Viatu always acted very professionally. Our wishes and the given financial framework were taken into account. The hotels, the food, the activities - everything was excellent and highly recommended.

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Nadja

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We booked our honeymoon with Viatu. From the first minute on, we had good communication going with our travel agent, and she suggested a very nice itinerary right away. After some little adjustments that were easily done, we were ready to go.

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Nora

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I'm very thankful for my first Viatu experience. The 3-week trip across Namibia combined incredible landscapes and nature, mindblowing eco-friendly lodges and utter peace of mind. The organisation and support of the Viatu team were spot-on - this is the way to impress. Thanks a lot!

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Christoph

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The recommended accommodations were perfect for us and everything was as expected. Even though we booked on very short notice, everything went smoothly and was well managed by Viatu.

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Jan

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We had the most wonderful experience with Viatu and the trip of a lifetime. My sister and I travelled for 3,5 weeks through Namibia and South Africa, and everything was perfectly planned and just amazing.

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Valerie

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Because of the easy way we communicated with our Viatu expert, it felt like planning our holidays with a friend. It made it really flexible and perfectly suitable for our needs. The accommodations that he suggested were just wonderful and a perfect mix of everything we needed.

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Nicole

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With super short notice, they organised a trip that was just perfect. Loved everything about it! Will definitely recommend Viatu to all my friends!

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Margherita

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Our Viatu experience was just amazing, starting with the first discussions and the planning of our trip to Namibia. The Viatu team did a great job planning the trip according to our wishes and preferences.

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Stefano

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We booked our 3.5-week honeymoon with Viatu, and it was simply wonderful! We had the most amazing time in South Africa and will book holidays with Viatu again!

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Linda

verified iconVerified Traveller

I spent one of my most exciting and beautiful holidays with Viatu in Namibia. From unforgettable game drives, lodges with stunning locations, delicious food and an adventurous cycling trip through the desert, we got the full package.

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Manuel

verified iconVerified Traveller

From the first contact to trip preparation and implementation as well as support during the trip, Viatu always acted very professionally. Our wishes and the given financial framework were taken into account. The hotels, the food, the activities - everything was excellent and highly recommended.

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Nadja

verified iconVerified Traveller

We booked our honeymoon with Viatu. From the first minute on, we had good communication going with our travel agent, and she suggested a very nice itinerary right away. After some little adjustments that were easily done, we were ready to go.

avatar icon

Nora

verified iconVerified Traveller

I'm very thankful for my first Viatu experience. The 3-week trip across Namibia combined incredible landscapes and nature, mindblowing eco-friendly lodges and utter peace of mind. The organisation and support of the Viatu team were spot-on - this is the way to impress. Thanks a lot!

avatar icon

Christoph

verified iconVerified Traveller

The recommended accommodations were perfect for us and everything was as expected. Even though we booked on very short notice, everything went smoothly and was well managed by Viatu.

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Jan

verified iconVerified Traveller

We had the most wonderful experience with Viatu and the trip of a lifetime. My sister and I travelled for 3,5 weeks through Namibia and South Africa, and everything was perfectly planned and just amazing.

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Valerie

verified iconVerified Traveller

Because of the easy way we communicated with our Viatu expert, it felt like planning our holidays with a friend. It made it really flexible and perfectly suitable for our needs. The accommodations that he suggested were just wonderful and a perfect mix of everything we needed.

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Nicole

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