Shipwrecks

And of course, go to the beach. Over the centuries the area has had a bad reputation with sailors. This stretch of coast has the grim record of having the greatest number of shipwrecks in southern Africa. Over 140 ships have met their violent end along this coastline, the two most famous being the HMS Birkenhead (1852) and the Arniston (1815).

The gale force winds and strong ocean currents in these waters can create rogue waves 30 meters high. The toxic combination of storms, reefs, inaccurate maps and primitive navigational technology, have wrecked ships on this coast for centuries.