Table Bay

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Table Bay
Tafelbaai (Afrikaans)
Bloubergdtand.jpg
An aerial view of Table Bay from Bloubergstrand, to the north of Cape Town. Table Mountain is visible in the distance on the far side of the bay.
South Africa relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Table Bay
Location in South Africa
Coordinates 33°51′S18°27′E / 33.850°S 18.450°E / -33.850; 18.450
Ocean/sea sources Southern Atlantic Ocean
Basin  countries South Africa
Surface area100 square kilometres (39 sq mi) [1]
Islands Robben Island
Settlements Cape Town

Table Bay (Afrikaans: Tafelbaai) is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. Overlooked by Cape Town, the bay is dominated by the flat-topped Table Mountain, from which it takes its name.

Contents

Table Bay pano from Table Mountain.jpg
Table Bay, the harbour and the City Bowl from the summit of Table Mountain in 2022.

History

Early European exploration

The first European to explore the region was Bartolomeu Dias, who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. [2] [3] The first European to anchor in the bay itself was Portuguese navigator António de Saldanha in 1503. Saldanha also made the first recorded ascent of Table Mountain. [4] The bay was subsequently named Aguada de Saldanha ("Watering-place of Saldanha"). [4] [5] In 1601, Dutch navigator Joris van Spilbergen renamed it Table Bay. [5]

Although famous for centuries as a haven for ships, the bay is a poor natural harbour, exposed to northwesterly storm waves. Many sailing ships seeking refuge in the bay during the 17th and 18th centuries were driven ashore by winter storms.

Dutch settlement and harbour construction

Despite the poor conditions, the Dutch colonists persisted with their settlement on the shores of Table Bay, as good natural harbours are scarce along this coastline. On 6 April 1652, Jan van Riebeeck established a refreshment station at the bay for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). [6] The first fortification, a small fort named the Fort of Good Hope, was built on the shoreline. [7] The settlement grew into the city of Cape Town.

Other nearby bays were considered. The best of these, Saldanha Bay, lacked fresh water. Simon's Bay, while well protected from westerly winter storms and swells, was more exposed to summer southeasterly storms and was difficult to access overland from Cape Town. Hout Bay was small and exposed to the prevailing southwesterly swell.

Eventually, a modern harbour was built in Table Bay by a process of land reclamation and protected from storm waves by breakwaters. Construction of the first breakwater began in 1860, with Prince Alfred ceremonially tipping the first load of rocks. [8] This structure protected the Alfred Basin, the first part of the new harbour. [9] The older part of this development is today called the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The newer, deeper part is the Duncan Dock. [10] Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for decades, is in this bay.

Sliedrecht oil spill

The bay's beaches were oiled following an accident involving the Dutch tanker Sliedrecht in November 1953. The vessel moved 96 km (60 mi) offshore to pump out 1,000 tonnes of oil that had been fouled with seawater after the initial impact. [11]

Shipwrecks

Geography

Robben Island

Robben Island is located in Table Bay. Geologically, it is underlain by the Tygerberg Formation, which is part of the Neoproterozoic to early Cambrian Malmesbury Group of the Saldania Belt. [12]

Bathymetry

Table Bay is a relatively shallow body of water, covering an area of approximately 100 km². It slopes gently from east to west, reaching a maximum depth of 35 m at the centre of its mouth. [1]

The bedrock is shales, slates and sandstone of the Malmesbury group, similar in character, dip, and strike, to the exposed rocks of Robben Island and Mouille Point. The seabed comprises large areas of partly exposed bedrock and patches of fine to coarse sand. [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa: an overview of its physical and ecosystem properties". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. 62 (1): 1–20. 2007. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  2. ↑ "Bartolomeu Dias". Britannica. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  3. ↑ "Bartolomeu Dias". South African History Online. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  4. 1 2 "António de Saldanha". South African History Online. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  5. 1 2 "A Timeline Of The Castle of Good Hope" (PDF). castleofgoodhope.co.za. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  6. ↑ "The Arrival of Jan Van Riebeeck in the Cape – 6 April 1652". South African History Online. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  7. ↑ "Dutch and British coastal fortifications at the Cape of Good Hope, 1665-1829". South African History Online. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  8. ↑ "A Walking Tour of the V&A Waterfront" (PDF). gatewayguides.co.za. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  9. ↑ "Cape Town Breakwater". Cape Town Heritage. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  10. ↑ "Duncan Dock". Artefacts.co.za. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  11. ↑ "Ship Oil Kills Fish, Penguins". Newcastle Sun (NSW : 1918 - 1954). 1953-11-03. p. 8. Archived from the original on 2021-03-21. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  12. ↑ Belcher, M.P. (2003). STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY OF ROBBEN ISLAND. OpenUCT (Thesis). University of Cape Town. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
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