Endemic Nature of the Whale Coast & Overberg

Whales, sharks, African black oystercatchers, ancient milkwood forests - the list of wonderful natural phenomena on the Whale Coast and in Overberg country is a long one.

There are, however, two natural South African wonders that this area is famous for: the wonderful diversity of fynbos and the increasing population of South Africa's endangered national bird, the blue crane.

Fynbos, meaning 'fine bush' in Afrikaans, is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest but richest of the world's six plant kingdoms. These diverse and hardy plants grow in some of the harshest conditions yet still manage to produce an extraordinary range of flowers, from enormous proteas to delicate ericas.

Fynbos adapts extremely well to its local conditions, meaning certain plants will only be found in very small areas. The guys at Grootbos, for example, have found a number of completely new species in the past few years.

The blue crane is a tall, regal-looking bird that is considered one of South Africa's most endangered bird species. However, since the introduction of various conservation schemes, the Overberg region now boasts the majority of all blue cranes in the world.

This beautiful bird does a spectacular courtship dance and mates for life, producing one to three chicks every year. They roost in shallow water to protect themselves from predators and can often be seen along the country roads and congregating around pools of water.

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