St Helena Bay - West Coast - South Africa

Pictureque, St Helena Bay was named after emperor Contantine’s mother by Vasco da Gama in 1497 and is a principal fishing centre in South Africa.

Big companies like Pioneer operate fleets of modern vessels out of St. Helena and have huge processing facilities here.

Ice plants, cold rooms, canning and freezing, fishmeal and oil factories for local and overseas markets all function out of St. Helena.

Steeped in history of the forgotten people of the West Coast, the Guriqua, there are archaeological sites which show that places like Kasteelberg were home to these herders 1800 years ago.

St. Helena or Slipper Bay is a place where whales have beached themselves because of the minima in the earths magnetic field, which crosses the shoreline, also known as ‘cetacean traps’. These indigenous people or herders used to use this whale meat.

If you like fossils, there’s a FossilPark where you can take a tour of palaeontological diggings.

The nutrient rich water brought by the Benguela current, teems with an abundance of huge varieties of fish in this area.

In the winter months, snoek is sold off the boats to the nearby locals who come from near and far for this delicacy.

The Southern Right Whales come into the bay to calve around August to November. Haviside dolphins also use St. Helena Bay as their playground.

Spring is wild flower season, a popular venue where people from all over the world come to relax and take in the wondrous colour along this coastline.

There are ancient granite hills and boulders which create a stunning background to the village

There is a lot more to see and do than fishing. The beaches are great for water sports and then there are other attractions nearby like the Rocherpan Nature Reserve and the West Coast National Park.

Explore a lovely protected cove on the South Western shore of St. Helena where you can watch the sunset.

The weather in St. Helena is slightly warmer and milder than in Cape Town so there’s nothing that should hinder your visit.

St. Helena like all the little villages along the West Coast have something special to offer their visitors at any time of the year.

Accommodation

There’s a variety to choose from. Hotels, guest houses, B&B’s, self-catering it’s all there, to suit every budget. www.sa-venues.com/accommodation/sthelenabay.php