Cape Agulhas: I always have been fascinated with the most southern tip of Africa, the place where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet. Contrary to what many people want to make you believe, the two oceans do not meet at Cape of Good Hope. The ocean in False Bay is slightly warmer than the ocean in Table Bay because the warm waters of the Indian Ocean reach and flow into this bay. The Portuguese, in the 15th century, were responsible for the name of Cape Agulhas. These sailors christened it Cabo das Agulhas, meaning Cape of Needles. This was because their compass needles showed no variation between north and magnetic north points. When I was a little girl, my gran
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Cape Agulhas: I always have been fascinated with the most southern tip of Africa, the place where the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean meet. Contrary to what many people want to make you believe, the two oceans do not meet at Cape of Good Hope. The ocean in False Bay is slightly warmer than the ocean in Table Bay because the warm waters of the Indian Ocean reach and flow into this bay.
The Portuguese, in the 15th century, were responsible for the name of Cape Agulhas. These sailors christened it Cabo das Agulhas, meaning Cape of Needles. This was because their compass needles showed no variation between north and magnetic north points.
When I was a little girl, my grandfather told me many stories about rugged sailors and captains trying to conquer Cape Agulhas after they managed to survive the much-feared Cape of Good Hope, back in the days known as Cabo Tormentosa (Cape of Storms).
Standing at the "monument" of Cape Agulhas for the first time--a windy, desolate, rugged, and mystic place--it felt like I was standing at the end of the earth. The wind was blowing like mad, the waves were slightly aggressive and showed me their white teeth, and the skies were grey like you wouldn't believe. But I loved it.
It was mind-boggling to think of all these ships, first the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, French and British--passing by in search of spices in the Far East. It must have been a beautiful sight, seeing the sails from the shore.
It is even more puzzling to think about the many ships that perished between Cape Agulhas and Cape of Good Hope over the centuries. The ocean at Cape Agulhas, notorious for its heavy and unsuspected storms, has wrecked hundreds of ships over the centuries.
Still the coastline between Cape of Good Hope and Agulhas is considered as the most dangerous in South Africa.
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