Put your seal on Cape conservation

Wedged between mountain and ocean on a peerless peninsula, Cape Town is a perennial contender for the title of the world’s most beautiful city. A global diversity hotspot and the first South African metropolis to be accredited as an international Wetland City, Cape Town is blessed with jawdropping scenery and natural resources. The Table Bay and its guests are keenly aware of the fragility of this pristine environment and the pressing need to preserve the magnificent flora and fauna that has become synonymous with the Mother City.

While sipping on champagne and revelling in the olde world luxury of this pearl of the V&A Waterfront, eco-minded guests at The Table Bay will be making their mark through the hotel’s barrage of sustainability initiatives. In the kitchens, Executive Chef Lindsay Venn and his team are pursuing a zero-to-waste policy, while turning offcuts into plates that strut down a patron’s palate.

Say hello to Oscar

In addition, The Table Bay hotel donates a portion of sales from every seafood order to Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, as well as profits from bookings of Wildlife Tours of the Waterfront and sales of a children’s book about a seal who lived and played near the hotel. Today, the statue of Oscar the seal is both a mascot for the fabled hotel and a symbol of its ongoing commitment to sustainability.

With their external flaps, large fore flippers, flexible hind flippers, eared seals are able to walk and even gallop on land, and manoeuvre powerfully. These incredible sea dogs can live up to the age of 21, and have the intelligence to adapt and even thrive in a changing environment.

Although their hefty weight and size means the Cape Fur seal is only really threatened by large sharks and whales, the two-million-strong population does face risks from pollution, sea traffic and interactions with humans. This makes educational initiatives such as those offered by The Table Bay even more significant for the future of the species.

Cape Town offers a wealth of wildlife engagement and conservation opportunities for guests who would like to make a donation, get their hands dirty, or educate themselves about the plight of various species in support of these fantastic causes.

Over in Hout Bay, for example, wildlife campaigners are spoilt for choice. The quaint hamlet houses the Hout Bay Seal Rescue Centre, which works around the clock to save and rehabilitate seals in distress, and the long-standing World of Birds tropical oasis, which is home to more than 3 000 birds and small animals representing 400 different species. You’ll also find the Domestic Animal Rescue Group in Hout Bay, a pro-life non-profit organisation that rescues, cares for, sterilises and rehomes previously abused, neglected and abandoned cats and dogs.

Prioritising conservation

If big cats are more your speed – and if that speed is particularly rapid – visit Cheetah Outreach in Firgrove near Somerset West. The cheetah population on unprotected farmland is under threat from human conflict and has dwindled alarmingly since the turn of the century. Cheetah Outreach provides educational programmes and engages in groundbreaking research to reverse the decline. Visitors can view these magnificent creatures in full flight (they can reach speeds of over 100km/h) at the sanctuary.

Of course, conservation isn’t just about the fauna. Cape Town boasts an incredible array of flora, making the preservation of biodiversity a top priority. The city’s biodiversity management plan focuses on protecting unique ecosystems, such as the Cape Floristic Region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Look out for a range of opportunities to get involved through the South African National Biodiversity Institute.

A stay at The Table Bay is much more than indulging in world-class opulence – you’ll enjoy an opportunity to help preserve Cape Town’s stunning ecosystem for the generations to come. It’s where luxury and sustainability meet.