Miller's Point, Western Cape
Encyclopedia
Miller's Point is a headland and stretch of protected coastline in South Africa
. It is located about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Simon's Town
on the road to Cape Point
.
In the 1920s, the land was bought by the Molteno family of Cape Town who used it as a family retreat and closed it off from public access - later developing a successful cattle farm there. In 1961, the Molteno's donated the land to the city for conservation, and the manor is now a restaurant complex.
The rest of the property (extending from the Swartberg Mountains
down to the False Bay coast
) is now a nature reserve
, with some provision for holiday accommodation. The headland has repeatedly been under consideration for a lighthouse
, however none has been built to date.
, especially from early July to November. There are two deep pools, just to the north of the point, where the whale
s are able to come in close to the shore and can often be seen breaching. Southern Right Whale
s are most common and come here in the Spring with their calves. Other whales, as well as dolphins, can sometimes be seen too.
The beaches are sheltered from the wind and there are panoramic views of False Bay from further up the slopes.
trips, as well as dives on the nearby reefs. Two frigates, two fishing boats and an offshore mining vessel were scuttled in Smitswinkel Bay by the Navy in the early 1970s, to form an artificial reef which has proved to be a success. These ships now sit upright on the sea bed, about 4 km from the launching point. In addition, the SAS Pietermaritzburg, formerly HMS Pelorus (which led the D-Day invasions of Normandy) was scuttled in shallow water (20m) just off Miller's Point and the Portuguese liner Lusitania (which lies in deeper water at Bellows Rock near Cape Point after running aground there in 1911) is also most conveniently accessible from Miller's Point launches.
, a critically endangered
vegetation-type that occurs nowhere else in the world. Mature Granite Fynbos is dominated by large tree-Protea
s, such as the Tree Pincushion-Protea
and the Waboom
, and a dense under-layer of Asteraceous (daisy)
species. There are a variety of species (some already extinct) which are naturally restricted to this specific vegetation type, occurring nowhere else in the world. The primary threat to this ecosystem is invasive alien plants, such as the Australian Port Jackson
and Rooikrans
Acacias.
On the higher slopes can be found Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos
, a less severely endangered vegetation-type with a different range of species, including a vast number of endemics. This tiny ecosystem
(restricted to the upper slopes of Cape Peninsula
mountains) has an extraordinarily rich biodiversity
, with roughly the same number of plant species as can be found in the whole of the United Kingdom
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It is located about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Simon's Town
Simon's Town
Simon's Town , sometimes spelled Simonstown; is a town in South Africa, near Cape Town which is home to the South African Navy. It is located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula. For more than two centuries it has been an important naval base and harbour...
on the road to Cape Point
Cape Point
Cape Point is a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula, which is a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometres at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in the Republic of South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town...
.
History
Miller's Point got its name when the land was sold to Edmund Miller in 1825, who developed it as a whaling station. However the whaling operations were stopped in the 1850s and, for almost a century, the coast remained unused apart from occasional fishermen.In the 1920s, the land was bought by the Molteno family of Cape Town who used it as a family retreat and closed it off from public access - later developing a successful cattle farm there. In 1961, the Molteno's donated the land to the city for conservation, and the manor is now a restaurant complex.
Current Use
The area around the former manor is now a recreational area, and a portion of the land is leased to the Cape Boat and Ski-boat Club.The rest of the property (extending from the Swartberg Mountains
Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula is a generally rocky peninsula that juts out for 75 km into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope...
down to the False Bay coast
False Bay
False Bay is a body of water defined by Cape Hangklip and the Cape Peninsula in the extreme South-West of South Africa.- Description and location :...
) is now a nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
, with some provision for holiday accommodation. The headland has repeatedly been under consideration for a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
, however none has been built to date.
Whale Observation
This is a good spot for whale watchingWhale watching
Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat. Whales are watched most commonly for recreation but the activity can also serve scientific or educational purposes. A 2009 study, prepared for IFAW, estimated that 13 million people went whale watching...
, especially from early July to November. There are two deep pools, just to the north of the point, where the whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
s are able to come in close to the shore and can often be seen breaching. Southern Right Whale
Southern Right Whale
The southern right whale is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Like other right whales, the southern right whale is readily distinguished from others by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching...
s are most common and come here in the Spring with their calves. Other whales, as well as dolphins, can sometimes be seen too.
The beaches are sheltered from the wind and there are panoramic views of False Bay from further up the slopes.
Public Access
Miller's Point slipway is the only public access slipway on this part of the False Bay coastline, and is much used by recreational and commercial fishermen.Shipwrecks
Miller's Point has become a popular launching site for wreck divingWreck diving
Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
trips, as well as dives on the nearby reefs. Two frigates, two fishing boats and an offshore mining vessel were scuttled in Smitswinkel Bay by the Navy in the early 1970s, to form an artificial reef which has proved to be a success. These ships now sit upright on the sea bed, about 4 km from the launching point. In addition, the SAS Pietermaritzburg, formerly HMS Pelorus (which led the D-Day invasions of Normandy) was scuttled in shallow water (20m) just off Miller's Point and the Portuguese liner Lusitania (which lies in deeper water at Bellows Rock near Cape Point after running aground there in 1911) is also most conveniently accessible from Miller's Point launches.
Flora and Fauna
The main indigenous ecosystem of the area is Peninsula Granite FynbosPeninsula Granite Fynbos
Peninsula Granite Fynbos is an endangered Fynbos vegetation type which is endemic to the city of Cape Town and occurs nowhere else. It is a unique type of tall, dense and diverse scrubland, scattered with trees...
, a critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
vegetation-type that occurs nowhere else in the world. Mature Granite Fynbos is dominated by large tree-Protea
Protea
Protea is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes.-Etymology:...
s, such as the Tree Pincushion-Protea
Leucospermum conocarpodendron
Leucospermum conocarpodendron is the largest of the Pincushion Proteas . Their natural habitat is the area around Cape Town, in the Western Cape, South Africa....
and the Waboom
Protea nitida
Protea nitida is a large, slow-growing Protea endemic to South Africa. It is one of the few Proteas that grow into trees, and the only one that has usable timber.-Appearance:...
, and a dense under-layer of Asteraceous (daisy)
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
species. There are a variety of species (some already extinct) which are naturally restricted to this specific vegetation type, occurring nowhere else in the world. The primary threat to this ecosystem is invasive alien plants, such as the Australian Port Jackson
Acacia saligna
Acacia saligna, commonly known by various names including coojong, golden wreath wattle, orange wattle, blue-leafed wattle, Western Australian golden wattle, and, in Africa, Port Jackson willow, is a small tree in the family Fabaceae...
and Rooikrans
Acacia cyclops
Acacia cyclops, commonly known as red-eyed wattle or western coastal wattle, is a coastal shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae...
Acacias.
On the higher slopes can be found Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos
Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos
Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos is a unique and endangered vegetation type that is endemic to the Cape Peninsula in Cape Town. This type of Mountain Fynbos occurs on very poor, acidic soils but is incredibly rich in biodiversity with an enormous number of plant species – many of which occur nowhere else...
, a less severely endangered vegetation-type with a different range of species, including a vast number of endemics. This tiny ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
(restricted to the upper slopes of Cape Peninsula
Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula is a generally rocky peninsula that juts out for 75 km into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope...
mountains) has an extraordinarily rich biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
, with roughly the same number of plant species as can be found in the whole of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.