Seal Snorkeling with Animal Ocean

The Seal Snorkeling EXPERTS! Operating since 2009, Animal Ocean have become known as the Seal Snorkeling specialists in Cape Town and have been the TOP rated TripAdvisor activity in Hout Bay for many years! Snorkel with Cape Fur seals at Duiker Island in Hout Bay, Cape Town. Interact with these incredible creatures in their natural environment, surrounded by picturesque mountain and ocean landscapes. Snorkeling at the Duiker Island Cape Fur seal colony offers an intimate wildlife experience like no other! This 3 hour adventure activity includes all equipment, transfer from our Snorkel Centre to the Hout Bay Harbour, boat ride, Skipper, 2 Marine Guides, safety briefing, on-board refreshments as well as use of all Animal Ocean facilities. Have a hot shower before moving on to your next activity, enjoy the privacy of personal changing cubicles, plan the rest of your trip with free WiFi, and enjoy complimentary tea and coffee while relaxing in our comfortable lounge and sun filled garden!

Your journey begins by meeting us at our new Snorkel Centre at 8 Albert Road, Hout Bay - a 45 minute drive from the Cape Town city centre. Available trip times vary by month as the seasons change, with our peak season (November - February) having four trips a day - the first starting at 08:30am. Various trip times are available on booking. 

Spend half an hour signing in, enjoying complimentary tea and coffee, being sized for your wetsuit, changing into your wetsuit and listening to an educational and safety briefing. Next up is hopping into our 'Seal Mobile' - our Seal Snorkeling van which will take you on a five minute drive to the Hout Bay Harbour. Our skipper and marine guides will meet you at the slipway with one of our vessels - 8m inflatables (Zodiacs) which will transport you quickly and safely to the Cape Fur seal colony at Duiker Island. Listen to a 5 minute boat safety briefing, before being driven to have a look at the seals relaxing in the sun on the pontoons in the harbour. 

Hold on tight - time to leave the harbour! Enjoy the magnificent scenery of the surrounding mountains and bay as the skipper takes you to Duiker Island. Keep a look out for dusky and heaviside's dolphins which are sometimes seen playing in the waters offshore of Hout Bay! Once at the island the marine guides will give you some information about the area, as you look at (and listen to!) the seals sunning themselves on the rocky island. The boat will move through the channel between the mountain and island and take you to the area where you will be snorkeling. While the skipper and one of the guides anchor the boat and drop the marker buoy, you will be assisted by the second guide with putting on your fins, mask and snorkel and gloves. The skipper will then explain where to snorkel and how to get into the water, and splash! you will hop off the pontoons of the boat and into the water. If you are feeling nervous or uncomfortable the marine guides will be on hand in the water to offer you assistance. 

Spend up to an hour marvelling at the Cape Fur seals swimming and twirling below you, as they play and often jump out of the water! Watch them in their natural environment as they move gracefully through the water and sneak up to have a look at you! The water time is limited to one hour as the temperature varies from 8 - 15 degrees Celsius, although the wetsuits, vests, boots and gloves provided are designed to keep you warm. Once back on the boat, enjoy some delicious hot chocolate and biscuits, as well as warm water to be poured into your wetsuit or over your hands to warm up! We also provide drinking water if needed. The trip back to the harbour will take about 15 minutes, where the guides will help you back into the Seal Snorkeling van to return to our Snorkel Centre. Take a hot shower, change and enjoy the facilities while you reflect on your magnificent trip with the Cape Fur seals!

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