False Bay
| False Bay Valsbaai |
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|---|---|---|
 Section to the west of False Bay |
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| Waters | South Atlantic | |
| Land mass | southern africa | |
| Geographical location | 34 ° 13 ′ S , 18 ° 38 ′ E | |
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| width | 30 km | |
 German map (1888) |
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The False Bay ( Afrikaans : Valsbaai ; German about: "Falsche Bucht") is a bay on the Cape of Good Hope in the southwestern part of South Africa .
Description and location
The eastern and western shores of False Bay are very rocky; in some places large cliffs flow into deep water. The northern coast runs along a long, winding sandy beach. On this beach is the area known as Cape Flats . At its widest point, the bay covers a span of 30 kilometers and is located southeast of Cape Town. The towns of Simon's Town , Fish Hoek , Muizenberg , Mitchell's Plain , Strand and Khayelitsha are right on the bay. At the level of the city of Strand, the Hottentots-Holland Mountains , the southernmost foothills of the Cape Fold Belt , extend to the coast of the bay.
The Cape of Good Hope is west of False Bay.
history
Bartolomeu Dias first described the bay in 1488 as the "Gulf between the Mountains". The name "False Bay" comes from sailors who drove into the bay because they mistakenly believed the bay to be Table Bay .
The bounty arrived on May 24, 1788 in False Bay near Cape Town, where it had to be overhauled.
climate
There is a mild Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters. In winter, storms can blow over the country from the northwest, in summer the climate is determined by warm winds from the southeast. The water in the bay is around 6 ° C warmer than the water in Table Bay to the west .
tourism
False Bay is ideal for fishing , as schools of fish often pass by here. In the bay, however, so-called " monster waves " can form, which hit the rocky cliffs of the bay with great force. Many fishermen fell victim to these waves, which arise without any warning. Also, the sailing is one of the many recreational activities in the bay. Numerous sailing and yacht clubs are located around the bay.
In the bay there is a small island that is used as a breeding ground for cap seals ( South African fur seals ). The activity of the seals draws the attention of the great white shark , which is often spotted there. On 10 January 2010, for example, a man from Zimbabwe who was swimming 100 meters from the coast in the village of Fish Hoek and was fatally attacked was attacked.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ False Bay. South African History Online , accessed April 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Tourist killed by 'dinosaur-sized' great white shark off South African beach. Daily Mail , accessed April 23, 2020 .