Picto Diary - 22 December 2018 - Cape of Good Hope

Above: TIMDT 'n Bridge survey Atlantic Ocean, from near the Cape Point lighthouse. Beyond the lighthouse, and visible, a kilometer distant, is the Cape of Good Hope, long, but, falsely, considered the southernmost point of the African continent.

Bartholomew Diaz, the first European to reach this point, in referred to this point as the Cape of Storms. For good reason.... there are many ship wrecks in the treacherous seas around the southern section of Africa. To encourage further trade in the east, the King of Portugal changed the name to "Cape of Good Hope."

The southernmost point of Africa is actually Cape Aguilhas about 90 miles to the east. The currents of the two oceans (Indian and Atlantic) meet at the point where the warm-water Agulhas current meets the cold-water Benguela current and turn back on themselves. The meeting point of the currents... and hence, the effective dividing point between the two oceans fluctuates between Cape Agulhas and Cape Point.

Above: Baboon. Cape Point, Western Cape, South Africa. 22 December 2018.

Guide says to stay away from these sharp finger nailed animals as they can be aggressive.

Above: Succulent. Penguins Beach. Cape Town, South Africa. 22 December 2018

Succulent in image is same as one in our kitchen area. Ours sits on a counter, grows about four inches a year, and is within an inch of the ceiling. If we keep it, we'll have to move it to the floor.

Judging from the size of the imaged plants here, we'll have to get rid of ours soon enough. — at Penguins Beach South Africa.

Above: TIMDT (or her hat) observes penguins at Penguins Beach. Cape Town, South Africa.

Formerly called the Jackass Penguin, authorities, succumbing to political correctness renamed the bird, The African Penguin. This colony, now around 3000 birds has been as high as 10,000 birds and lower than 2000 birds. Their numbers are on the upswing.

Some naturalists are concerned that the small fish, including sardines, that the birds feed on, are disappearing from these waters.