
Cape Gannet
The Cape gannet (Morus capensis) originally Sula capensis, is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae.
Species insights
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Curve from 907 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property and not from this province. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Cape Gannet is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
907 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Cape Gannet
Stays that give back
Across the Western Cape
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 2,100 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · Southern right whale
From R 4,640 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Forest biome
From R 2,170 a night
Reliably seen · Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
Price on request
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · Cape fur seal
From R 1,560 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,340 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,370 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome
From R 1,560 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,380 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,580 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Bushpig
From R 1,410 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · King protea · Sugarbush
From R 770 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bontebok · King protea
From R 4,859 a night
Cape Gannet recorded here · Fynbos biome · Bushbuck · Outeniqua yellowwood
From R 287 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome
Gives back to Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and 1 other
From R 14,985 a night
Succulent Karoo biome · Spekboom
Gives back to Wolwekraal Nature Reserve
From R 1,400 a night
Forest biome
Gives back to National Sea Rescue Institute
From R 2,250 a night
Birder friendly · Fynbos biome · Black wildebeest · Bontebok
Gives back to BirdLife South Africa
From R 5,636 a night
Fynbos biome · English oak
Gives back to Cape Leopard Trust
From R 6,195 a night
Angulate tortoise · Wild olive
Price on request
Fynbos biome · English oak
From R 2,800 a night
Whale coast and rolling farm country
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Cape Gannet
Hosts have recorded the Cape Gannet at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park and Garden Route National Park.
Best hours of the day
- The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
- Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
IUCN Red List
Endangered
Species
Morus capensis
Records
907
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Cape Gannet on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Cape Gannet in Western Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Cape Gannet at stays in or beside Goukamma Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, Garden Route National Park, Keurbooms River Nature Reserve, Kogelberg Nature Reserve and Robberg Nature Reserve. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Cape Gannet in South Africa?
The Cape Gannet is most recorded in Western Cape (69% of records), Eastern Cape (23% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (7% of records), based on 907 iNaturalist observations. 17 places to stay on Spekboom in Western Cape have recorded the Cape Gannet on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Cape Gannet?
The Cape Gannet is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Goukamma Nature Reserve: year-round, warm Oct-Apr; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Garden Route National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Keurbooms River Nature Reserve: year-round. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Cape Gannet?
The Cape Gannet (Morus capensis) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Cape Gannet?
The Cape gannet (Morus capensis) originally Sula capensis, is a large seabird of the gannet family, Sulidae.
























