Cape of Good Hope Wildlife Guide
Discover the wild Cape, from mountain and fynbos to the Atlantic shore. Make West in Scarborough your base for exploring the southern Cape Peninsula.
Download the complete illustrated Wildlife Guide (43-page PDF)
Life at West
West is Russ and Marion Weston's owner-run coastal retreat at 108 Hilltop Street, Scarborough. Our philosophy is to live in coexistence with nature and the community, supporting the people and places that make this corner of the Cape special.
From our vantage point above the Atlantic, we watch dolphins, whales and seabirds. Humpback super-pods have been among our most extraordinary sightings. Seals pass along the coast and an occasional elephant seal comes ashore. To the south, the view reaches towards the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.
Our observations around West include Cape clawless otters at the beachfront, evening porcupine visits, small mongooses and guineafowl. Cape grysbok and klipspringer are sometimes seen behind the house, while caracal live along the mountain range. An occasional baboon passes through the village. These are personal observations, not promises of sightings.
Where habitats meet
Rocky highlands, coastal thicket, fynbos, beaches and ocean sit close together on the southern Peninsula. Scan offshore for seabirds, watch a flowering shrub, or pause beside a trail to notice the smaller wildlife.
Carry binoculars, record the date and place of your observations, and photograph without disturbing wildlife. The guide's checklists record possibilities and historical observations rather than guaranteed encounters.
Boulders & African penguins
Near Simon's Town, Boulders offers designated viewing areas for African penguins. Each bird has its own pattern of chest spots. Their flippers propel them underwater as they pursue small schooling fish, including anchovies and sardines.
Parents share incubation and chick care. Downy chicks remain ashore until their juvenile plumage is ready for life at sea. Adult penguins also remain ashore during their annual moult, relying on stored reserves while their waterproof plumage renews. Give resting birds space and keep to designated paths.
The guide records the African penguin's uplisting to Critically Endangered in the 2024 BirdLife International / IUCN assessment, with reduced food availability among the major threats.
Mammals of the Peninsula
The illustrated mammal section covers bontebok, Cape mountain zebra and klipspringer, whose conservation stories include reintroduction to the area. Other antelope featured include eland, red hartebeest, Cape grysbok, common duiker, steenbok and grey rhebok.
Look for the smaller signs of life too: mole-rat sand heaps, porcupine activity, striped mice and dassies among the rocks. Caracal, genets and Cape fox are more elusive. Cape clawless otters use coastal and freshwater habitats; mongooses forage on land and near water.
Baboons are intelligent, adaptable wild animals. Never feed or approach them. Keep food out of sight and secure doors, windows and waste.
Birds, from fynbos to the sea
Flowering proteas and ericas draw attention to Cape sugarbirds and orange-breasted sunbirds. Cape siskins favour rocky country, while Cape bulbuls are associated with coastal thickets. The guide also features southern double-collared sunbirds, Cape weavers, bokmakieries, Cape grassbirds and many other regional birds.
Explore the illustrated sections on small birds, medium and larger birds, owls and birds of prey. Along the coast, watch for African black oystercatchers, cormorants, gulls and terns. Wetlands and sheltered shores offer different possibilities, including kingfishers, herons, ducks, plovers and waders.
Offshore watching introduces albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, prions and other pelagic birds. Weather, season and sea conditions shape what may pass. The PDF includes the original bird checklist and rarity records; historical abundance labels should not be read as a current survey.
Oceans of life
The Atlantic brings seasonal whale visits and opportunities to watch dolphins and Cape fur seals. The guide features southern right whales, humpback whales, Bryde's whales, common and dusky dolphins, and occasional southern elephant seals among its marine mammals.
Watch from shore or arrange an outing with a responsible local operator. Every encounter happens on nature's terms, and sightings are never guaranteed.
Amphibians & reptiles
The guide introduces Cape frogs and toads, including rain frogs, the Cape platanna and western leopard toad. Its reptile plates cover lizards, geckos, skinks, the Cape dwarf chameleon, tortoises, terrapins and snakes.
Observe reptiles without handling or cornering them. Several local snakes are venomous: keep your distance, watch where you step and let animals move away undisturbed. Leave rock pools, plants and small creatures as you find them.
The fynbos
Look closely at the plants that give this landscape its character. Proteas, ericas and restios are central to the guide's introduction to fynbos, from coastal plains to mountain slopes.
Flowers and animals are connected: sunbirds reach nectar in tubular flowers, while Cape sugarbirds visit flowering proteas. A guided walk can reveal these relationships and the extraordinary detail beneath the wider view.
West to East
Combine the Atlantic coast with the African bush through Greenlife Safaris. Russ's connection to Djuma in the Sabi Sands provides a personal link to the Greater Kruger region. A starting idea is roughly a week at West followed by a week in the Lowveld, adapted to your party's interests and budget.
Accommodation, flights, transfers, activities and any personal hosting are agreed in your individual proposal. Excursions depend on availability, access and conditions. Contact Russ at safariruss@gmail.com to discuss a journey.
Explore with care
Stay on permitted paths, leave plants and animals undisturbed and take litter home. Check weather, access and park notices before setting out. Scarborough's sea can have strong rip currents; seek local advice before swimming. Arrange guided activities through your hosts.
About the guide
Adapted from the Cape of Good Hope Wildlife Guide, originally produced by KEAG and Wildspots.org. Photography principally by Russ Weston, Greenlife Safaris. Additional photographs are credited to Justin Rhys Nicolau, Clifford Dorse, Lee Gutteridge, David Maguire, Michelle Kock, Tony Stodwell, Glynn Woods, Heide Davel, Paul Morkel and W. Petersen.
The downloadable edition retains original photo credits, species plates and historical records. It is an identification aid, not a new biodiversity survey or a claim of new SANParks endorsement.
Plan a nature-focused stay at West · Download the full illustrated guide