Exploring the Cape Peninsula!

Our Global Navigators had the incredible opportunity to explore the Cape Peninsula and its spectacular wildlife! It was an action packed day full of hiking, sea life, boat rides, and breathtaking views.

The day started with a boat ride to Seal Island near Hout Bay. The island is home to between 500 and 5,000 seals at any given time. These amazing Cape Fur Seals put on quite a show for our students- they were even jumping out of the water! The dramatic cliffs surrounding Hout Bay made the early morning boat trip even more special.  After a fun lunch at the Hout Bay market, our journey continued along Chapman's Peak Drive- considered one of the world's most scenic drives!

Arriving in Simon's Town, the group made their way to Boulders Beach, home to a colony of African Penguins. (Check out Penguin Town on Netflix for a cool documentary on the colony!) The students loved our little tuxedoed friends!  Because of the temperate weather in Cape Town, there are baby penguin chicks at any given time of the year. We were lucky to see many chicks with their full down feathers- they are SO FLUFFY!!!!

Our last stop on our adventure brought us to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope.  With ostriches, baboons, and elands along our hike, the students were able to see two oceans at the same time along with beautiful African wildlife! Our hike ended at the Southwesternmost point of Africa, where the bus was waiting to bring us back to the accommodation for dinner. After dinner, during our debrief discussion, the students had good conversation about both positive and negative effects of tourism on local communities. They also talked about impacts of tourism on nature and economy. These types of discussions can help our student leaders make positive changes in the future.