Cape Town, False Bay (top) and Table Bay (right) from space, February 1995. The circular Robben Island is clearly visible.

. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (639x639, 133 KB)Cape Town, False Bay (top) and Table Bay (right), South Africa - February 1995 image description here File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (639x639, 133 KB)Cape Town, False Bay (top) and Table Bay (right), South Africa - February 1995 image description here File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Dutch ships off Table Bay in the 17th century

Table Bay is a natural inlet overlooked by Cape Town (founded 1652) and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was so named because it is dominated by the flat-topped Table Mountain. Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for decades, is in this bay. The bay, although famous for centuries as a haven for ships, is actually a rather poor natural harbour and is badly exposed to gales from both the SE and NW. Many sailing ships seeking refuge in the bay during the 17th and 18th centuries were driven ashore by storms. The Dutch colonists nevertheless persisted with their colony on the shores of Table Bay, for two reasons: (a) natural harbours along this coastline were and remain as scarce as hen's teeth and (b) the only realistic alternative, Saldana Bay, had almost no fresh water. Eventually a harbour, defended by breakwaters, was built in Table Bay to protect shipping. The older part of this structure is called the Victoria Dock. The newer part is called the Duncan Dock. The blue indentation that is the harbour and the white line of the breakwater are just visible in the satellite image. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (878x655, 50 KB)Dutch ships off Table Bay, South Africa, in the 17th century. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (878x655, 50 KB)Dutch ships off Table Bay, South Africa, in the 17th century. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Province Western Cape Mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo Area  - % water 1,644 km² 0. ... 1888 Map of the Cape of Good Hope The expression Cape of Good Hope is used in two senses (1) sensu stricto it is a wild and rocky headland in South Africa, on the southern fringe of the Cape Peninsula, some thirty kilometres south of Cape Town (2) sensu lato... Table Mountain is a flat-topped mountain in South Africa that overlooks Cape Town. ... Prison Buildings on Robben Island Cape Town, False Bay (top) and Table Bay with Robben Island (right) from space, February 1995 Robben Island (Dutch for seal island) is an island 12 km off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa located in Table Bay at 33. ...

See also: False Bay Cape Town, False Bay (top) and Table Bay (right) from space, February 1995 False Bay, known in Afrikaans as Valsbaai, is a body of water, across from the famous Cape of Good Hope, Table Bay and near Cape Town, South Africa. ...