St Helena Bay

St Helena Bay on the Cape West Coast, is one of the calmest bays in the world and at the heart of the South African fishing industry. Nature in the form of the cold Benguela current, brings rich nutrient laden waters, which attracts fish in large numbers.

In winter, snoek are caught and Sandy Point, the main harbour, is a vibrant, bustling hive of activity, as the fish are sold straight off the boats. More than half of the fish processed annually in South Africa are processed here.

The best known of the factories is St Helena Bay Fishing, home of Lucky Star Pilchards. A variety of canned fish as well as lobster products are produced here and exported all over the world.

With imposing granite boulders as the backdrop to the town and long white beaches hugging the shoreline, walkers and beachcombers delight in exploring the area. The coastline is pristine and from August to November, the Southern Right Whales visit to calve. They can be seen all around the bay from the shore. Humpback whales and Orca are also visitors to the area. Heaviside’s dolphins are found in large numbers at any time along with schools of dusky and common dolphins. Large groups can be seen chasing fish along the shore or simply frolicking in the waves.

Sea kayaking and wind surfing, surfing (surfers seek out ‘Heaven’ and ‘Hell’ when the heavy Atlantic swells roll in), relaxing on the beach, bird watching along the coast or enjoying the wild flowers from late July to September are great ways to work up an appetite for the fresh seafood meals.

St Helena bay is one of the few bays in the world where one can photograph sunrise and sunset over the sea, from any of the 18 little bays that make up the shoreline.

The Vasco da Gama Monument and Vasco da Gama Museum honour the first Europeans to land at St Helena Bay – they met up with the local Koi San people to find water and barter cattle.

The town is situated about 150km from Cape Town on R27, 25km from Vredenburg and about 37km from Saldanha. The villages of Velddrif, Britannia Bay and Paternoster are all very close by.

Read our detailed information on the West Coast at ShowMe West Coast.