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and discovered excellent fishing in the area. He settled there, and soon after other families followed suit. The settlers called it "Gansbaai" after the colony of
Egyptian geese that gathered at the freshwater fountain in the present-day Gansbaai Harbor. Up until the 20th century, however, it was
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was wrecked off Danger Point in 1852. A barely visible rock 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Danger Point (now aptly called "Birkenhead Rock") was fatal for the troopship carrying young Welsh, Scottish and
English soldiers and their officers and family on their way to Eastern Cape to
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people (after the hunter-gatherer-"San", the original indigenous population of the
Western Cape) in the Western Cape has been found in Klipgat Cave. Until the first white settlers arrived at the end of the 18th century, the Khoi people thrived in this region. An expedition sent by
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The southern right whale can be seen in large numbers, especially from the rocky shores of De
Kelders on Walker Bay. This is also the site of an old whaling station. The lookout platform and the steps leading to it are still standing. Today whales are protected in South Africa.
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to the area, described meeting people of the so-called
Chainouqua-tribe near Baardskeerdersbos, a rural hamlet, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Gansbaai. The river flowing through the Baardskeerdersbos Valley is still called "Boesmansrivier" (Afrikaans for Bushman's river).
569:, the residential shore area of Gansbaai. As one of only three places in South Africa where such old remains have been excavated, Klipgat Cave is one of the most important historical sites in the Western Cape. The reserve and the cave are open to anyone that has a wild card.
886:, the population of Gansbaai was recorded as 11,598 people, living in an area of 12.4 square kilometres (4.8 sq mi), giving the town a population density of 932.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (2,414/sq mi). 45% of the inhabitants described themselves as "
638:" protocol was applied. All women and children were saved but 445 of the men, mostly soldiers, perished. Most of the horses swam ashore and were the ancestors of a feral herd that roamed the plains east of Gansbaai until late in the 20th century.
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More than 140 ships have been wrecked and thousands of lives lost between Danger Point and Cape
Infanta, to the east of Gansbaai. In 1895, the Danger Point Lighthouse was built, providing more security for the ships in these dangerous waters.
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It was the people of Khoi-descent that erected the first permanent settlement in the
Gansbaai vicinity. In 1811 fishing cottages were built under the dense Milkwood Forests in Stanfords Bay near De Kelders.
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in South Africa that the economy began to recover. Barnard helped the fishermen obtain capital from the
Fisheries Development Corporation, deepen the harbour and establish a modern
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factory. It is still believed to be the primary employment generator in
Gansbaai and the canning division is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The town became a
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751:. The event is focused on therapeutic measures to rehabilitate the ecosystems that were once there. The event, hosted by environmental group Greenpop and
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Today, Gansbaai's economy still revolves around its fishing industry, but an increasingly large part of it now comes from tourism. It is considered the
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is focused on environmental action. The
Reforest Fest in the Platbos Forest Reserve serves annually as a prime example of the sound
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Dyer Island is the largest group of islands about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) offshore from Gansbaai and less than that from
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little more than a simple fishing village due to its isolation and lack of communication with the outside world.
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It was not until local school principal Johannes Barnard persuaded village fishermen to set up the first
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film crews and researchers from around the globe to study the wildlife. It has also become a popular
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The hinterland is known for its vast mountainous landscapes covered with unspoilt vegetation of the
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943:, was opened in 2010. It has approximately 900 students who are taught in Afrikaans and English.
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Dyer Island and Geyser Rock is a nature reserve and cannot be accessed by the general public.
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Masakhane Primary School, a Xhosa and English-medium school with approximately 550 students.
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Gansbaai Primêre Skool, an Afrikaans-medium school with approximately 500 students.
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Gansbaai was founded, according to local storytellers, in 1881 after 18-year-old
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The main tourist attraction in Gansbaai since approximately 1995 has been
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Geyser Rock is a smaller island nearby and is home to around 60,000
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became famous because it was the first shipwreck where the "
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between the two islands is popularly known as Shark Alley.
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Gansbaai is home to the annual Reforest Fest in Platbos
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The earliest evidence of the presence of sheep-herding
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Populated places in the Overstrand Local Municipality
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There are three public primary schools in Gansbaai:
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
649:Johannes Cornelis Wessels walked there across the
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665:received an economic boost in 1939 when a small
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106:Learn how and when to remove this message
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763:Dyer Island, Geyser Rock and Shark Alley
604:Plaque commemorating the sinking of the
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1296:Overberg District within South Africa
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781:The original name of Dyer Island was
137:Danger Point lighthouse near Gansbaai
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874:but there is an office in Gansbaai.
292:12.44 km (4.80 sq mi)
44:adding citations to reliable sources
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1148:. Western Cape Education Department
1122:. Western Cape Education Department
1096:. Western Cape Education Department
1070:. Western Cape Education Department
814:(≈ 5000 individuals in 2015).
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118:Place in Western Cape, South Africa
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1199:Municipalities and communities of
953:List of shipwrecks in South Africa
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777:Dyer Island Nature Reserve Complex
771:Great white shark near Dyer Island
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958:List of Islands of South Africa
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856:Overberg District Municipality
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794:peninsula. It is named after
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850:Gansbaai is located in the
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1044:. Overstrand Municipality
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169:Show map of Western Cape
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939:A public high school,
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987:"Main Place Gansbaai"
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728:Cape Floristic Region
669:was built to process
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228:34.58278°S 19.35222°E
551:Kruger National Park
318:Racial makeup (2011)
310: • Density
40:improve this article
1142:"Gansbaai Academia"
743:, the southernmost
690:fishery cooperative
522:destination in the
233:-34.58278; 19.35222
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1146:WCED Find-A-School
1120:WCED Find-A-School
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1068:WCED Find-A-School
927:Laerskool Gansbaai
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536:great white sharks
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431: • Other
371: • Other
302: • Total
289: • Total
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941:Gansbaai Academia
705:great white shark
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51:Find sources:
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29:This article
27:
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1524:Villiersdorp
1408:Van Dyks Bay
1378:Pearly Beach
1342:
1283:Suiderstrand
1248:Hotagterklip
1225:Cape Agulhas
1214:
1205:Western Cape
1150:. Retrieved
1145:
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1124:. Retrieved
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1110:
1098:. Retrieved
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1072:. Retrieved
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1046:. Retrieved
1042:"Contact Us"
1036:
1024:
1016:gansbaai.com
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906:, 40% spoke
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878:Demographics
868:Pearly Beach
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824:The shallow
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792:Danger Point
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784:Ilha da Fera
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749:South Africa
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683:World War II
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532:South Africa
528:Western Cape
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274:Municipality
258:Western Cape
248:South Africa
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38:Please help
33:verification
30:
1383:Pringle Bay
1368:Onrusrivier
1333:Fisherhaven
1318:Betty's Bay
991:Census 2011
910:, 3% spoke
890:", 30% as "
884:2011 census
864:Pringle Bay
800:Cape Colony
796:Samson Dyer
717:right whale
661:Gansbaai's
547:cage diving
499:cage diving
457:Postal code
231: /
1499:Genadendal
1466:Swellendam
1456:Stormsvlei
1428:Swellendam
1373:Papiesvlei
1328:De Kelders
1323:Birkenhead
1305:Overstrand
1278:Struisbaai
1238:Bredasdorp
1216:Bredasdorp
964:References
846:Government
808:fertiliser
745:indigenous
632:Birkenhead
618:Birkenhead
607:Birkenhead
567:De Kelders
563:Walker Bay
542:location.
297:Population
278:Overstrand
216:34°34′58″S
66:newspapers
55:"Gansbaai"
1484:Botrivier
1461:Suurbraak
1436:Barrydale
1418:Wolvengat
1363:Kleinmond
1358:Kleinbaai
1258:L'Agulhas
1152:7 January
1126:7 January
1100:7 January
1074:7 January
1048:7 January
918:Education
902:as their
900:Afrikaans
700:in 1963.
694:fish meal
679:lubricant
675:vitamin A
647:fisherman
595:trekboers
538:and as a
518:town and
482:Area code
440:Time zone
389:Afrikaans
219:19°21′8″E
96:June 2009
1539:Category
1494:Dennehof
1398:Stanford
1393:Sandbaai
1353:Hermanus
1343:Gansbaai
1273:Skipskop
1253:Klipdale
1233:Arniston
947:See also
892:Coloured
872:Hermanus
860:Overberg
655:Stanford
512:Gans Bay
504:Gansbaai
459:(street)
336:Coloured
268:Overberg
264:District
254:Province
193:Gansbaai
163:Gansbaai
125:Gansbaai
1509:Greyton
1504:Grabouw
1489:Caledon
1446:Infanta
1413:Vermont
1388:Rooiels
1348:Hawston
912:English
882:In the
862:, from
826:channel
747:forest
667:factory
663:economy
584:Bushman
557:History
520:tourist
516:fishing
514:) is a
411:English
244:Country
80:scholar
1451:Malgas
1268:Protem
1263:Napier
1012:"Home"
741:Forest
733:Fynbos
630:. The
470:PO box
382:(2011)
347:Indian
305:11,598
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
908:Xhosa
896:White
804:guano
653:from
651:dunes
628:Xhosa
624:fight
508:geese
445:UTC+2
422:Sotho
404:39.8%
400:Xhosa
393:53.2%
366:24.5%
362:White
351:Asian
340:29.7%
329:45.2%
87:JSTOR
73:books
1243:Elim
1154:2015
1128:2015
1102:2015
1076:2015
1050:2011
677:and
673:for
626:the
616:HMS
574:Khoi
475:7220
463:7220
449:SAST
434:1.9%
426:1.6%
415:3.5%
374:0.4%
355:0.3%
284:Area
59:news
866:to
486:028
42:by
1541::
1203:,
1144:.
1118:.
1092:.
1066:.
1014:.
999:^
989:.
972:^
821:.
719:.
530:,
526:,
1192:e
1185:t
1178:v
1156:.
1130:.
1104:.
1078:.
1052:.
1018:.
993:.
730:(
582:"
451:)
447:(
349:/
109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
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