Grab a snorkel and head down to Simon’s Town for an accessible taste of the Great African Sea Forest. This little slice of paradise is also home to “Happy Eddie” — the slightly more comforting nickname of the puffadder shyshark.
Getting there
Just a short drive outside of Cape Town, Windmill Beach is a small, charming beach perfect for both beginner snorkelers and more experienced freedivers and SCUBA divers — maxing out at about 8 meters depth. Large granite boulders provide shelter from wind and swell, enclosing a shallow bay that is full of marine life. The area falls within a No-take Zone in the Marine Protected Area of the Table Mountain National Park. As the beach is just down the road from the famous Boulders Beach penguin colony, it can get especially busy during the summer months. Plan to make a day of it!
After driving through Simon’s Town Main road, make a left on Bellevue Rd. just before the golf course. Take your first right onto Links Rd. and follow this narrow road along the golf course to a cul-de-sac and small parking area. Parking can be limited so please respect the markings and leave access for emergency vehicles! A paved pathway will take you from here, past the public ablutions and under a large old wind-swept Monterey cypress tree (Cupressus macrocarpa) to the beach.
Getting in
The beach offers two entries, the east cove/channel (to your right as you face the water) and the north cove/channel (to your left). The north cove features a wide, gently sloping sandy entry (hug the boulders to the right), that eventually becomes dense kelp and small boulders before dropping off more steeply to sand at the channel mouth. You’ll see plenty of signs of octopus dens in the rubble between the sand and kelp boundary. This side is sheltered from most wind and swell experienced in the bay.
The east cove is a slightly deeper sand channel flanked closely by kelpy rock faces. A popular route turns left from the channel mouth, across a boulder surface covered in sea-squirts, anemones and kelp, to a small mouth and channel that takes you back to the north cove. Thick kelp and shallow crystal clear water through this channel cast beautiful light on the colourful anemones and urchins along the way.
What to see
We’re not far from some of the locations featured in The Octopus Teacher, and an encounter with one of these camouflaged critters is common. Keep your eyes peeled for the shiny, freshly discarded shells that litter the entrances to their dens.
Sea otters can occasionally be found foraging amongst the shallow kelp.
If you’re especially lucky, you might find a penguin waddling out of the water on its return to land.
Seals frequently sunbathe on the large seaward boulder in the north cove.
An epidemic outbreak of rabies is currently afflicting seal populations in Southern Africa. Observe any seals for erratic or aggressive behaviour before entering the water. If you notice any aggressive behaviour, immediately notify City of Cape Town officials (021 480 7700) and do not approach the animal.
Several species of nudibranch are commonly found at Windmill Beach. The Gasflame is perhaps the most conspicuous. Look out for this large neon blue and orange sea slug!
But what we’re really here for are the sharks! All four of the endemic shyshark and catshark species can be found at Windmill Beach. The colours and patterns of each species lend a clue to where you might find them. Puffadders are most commonly encountered between boulders and areas of golden-brown sand-inundated reef. For their cousins, the dark shyshark, search through the fronds and holdfasts of the olive-green kelp. Pyjamas and leopards require a little more effort and often wedge themselves in crevices between rocks and under ledges created by small grey boulders.
Searching for shysharks requires developing an eye for their shapes, colours and swimming patterns. It’s easy to be fooled by the serpentine movement of a loose kelp frond unfurling along the stipe of another. Here is a heatmap highlighting the areas we’ve seen many of the puffadders in our Fin Spotter database. The rocky areas at the mouths of both coves offer your best chances. Start your searching amongst the kelp holdfasts and rocks in these areas to build some spotting experience.
We initially saw some seasonal patterns to our encounters, with many individuals aggregating during the winter months. This pattern seems more generally related to colder water temperatures during the winter. These sharks are commonly found year round, and the best conditions for finding shy sharks are unfortunately the coldest!
Be sure to photograph anything you find and submit it to Fin Spotter! Pop into the Ocean Hub and Impact Divers will sort you out with gear rental. If you want to join the experts, book our Snorkel for Science and join a marine scientist guide on our quest to monitor to population of shysharks in False Bay!