Caves of the Southern Cape Peninsula

By Peter Swart
November 2001

Introduction

The Cape Peninsula stretches from Table Bay in the north to Cape Point in the south, with the Fish Hoek Valley roughly halfway down. For the purposes of this article, the Southern Peninsula is considered as everything to the south of the Fish Hoek Valley.

Although there is extensive karst development in the Table Mountain Sandstone of the Southern Peninsula, the area has not been well explored by cavers, and not many caves have been recorded. Most of the caves that have been described in this area are sea caves, and many are very difficult to get to, and are extremely dangerous, even when the sea is calm.

Cave Names

As most of the caves described in this report are not marked on any maps, many of the cave names have been made up for no other reason than to give the cave a name. Where the caves are marked on maps, or names were known by locals, these names were used.

Bibliography

Durrheim, G.P., Durrheim, R.J., Martini, J.E.J. (1994) "Sea Caves Near Knysna" Bull. S.A. Spel. Assoc. Volume 33 pp27–35

Gibbs, D. (1995) Fax 04/95 from Rondevlei Nature Reserve

Hitchcock, A.N. CPSS Meet report, 5 September 1999 (unpublished, CPSS archives)

Theron, J.N. (1984) The Geology of Cape Town and Environs

Swart, P.G, Cave Research Meet Report, 20 July 1997 (unpublished, CPSS archives)