Cape Kelp Forests named one of the Seven Wonders of the World

The Seven Wonders of the World: a phenomenon that stretches back to my childhood, writes Cape {town} Etc’s Robyn Simpson. I envision pyramids and reefs and mountain ridges that seemed so gorgeously alien to the brain of a young buck. Images almost too glorious to comprehend, and a feeling similar to that of first laying my eyes on the Mother City. It comes as no surprise that Cape Town features in Bloomberg’s latest list of World Wonders.

Table Mountain, Cape Point, Boulders Beach, Robben Island. Which stunning local spot made the list, you’re wondering? None other than the backdrop of the Academy Award-winning documentary, My Octopus Teacher: the kelp forests, which are also referred to as the Great African Sea Forest.

Free diving through kelp forests near Cape Town. Photographer: Peter Marshall

Described as a shallow underwater jungle more than twice as wide as the Grand Canyon — and a home to millions of creatures, this wonderland beneath the waves lies just south of Cape Town.

“The mammoth vines thrive where Atlantic tides give way to cold Antarctic currents; a phenomenon called upwelling, where two ocean layers slosh together, is key to their growth.

“Multiday group trips are led by record-holding free diver Hanli Prinsloo, co-founder of the local outfitter I Am Water Ocean Travel. On tank-free descents, she’ll point out kaleidoscopic critters such as spiky-finned rockfish and pearl-colored hottentots.

Over sundowners at a private villa near penguin-filled Boulders Beach, Prinsloo will explain how, via photosynthesis, the seaweed captures gases from the atmosphere, making it a powerful agent against climate change,” writes Bloomberg’s Brandon Presser.

My Octopus Teacher presented a unique opportunity for people to venture into this special space: a visual feast of marine life, a kaleidoscope of light and colour and magic.

Between the documentary and its accolades, including an Oscar, and the fantastic crowning of the Cape kelp Forest as an iconic Natural Wonder, I’m feeling more grateful than ever to call Cape Town my home.

Alongside our kelp forest stands these spectacular Wonders:

Antequera Dolmens, Spain