Shipwrecks in Cape Town
8 shipwrecks in Cape Town, Western Cape with CastAwayZA. Get GPS directions on the free app.
Shipwrecks
Wreck Of The Kakapo (1900)
Cape Town, Western CapeThe Kakapo was a British steamer built in 1898 by the Grangemouth Dockyard Company and commanded by Captain P. Nicolayson, sailing on her maiden voyage from Swansea to Sydney via Cape Town in May 1900. Battling a fierce north-west gale after leaving Cape Town, she was driven toward Chapman’s Bay, where the captain mistook Chapman’s Peak for Cape Point, resulting in the vessel running aground on Noordhoek Beach. All twenty crew members survived and reached shore safely, but efforts to refloat the ship failed and she was eventually scrapped on site, with some metal reused by the railways. Today, only her boilers and remnants of the hull remain visible in the sand, a stark reminder of the sea’s power.View details →ShipwrecksRMS Athens
Cape Town, Western CapeThe SMS Athens Wreck lies in shallow water off Mouille Point, Cape Town, making it easily accessible from shore. The vessel sank during a severe northwest storm on May 17, 1865, claiming the lives of all thirty crew members. Today, the engine block of the Athens is still visible above the waves from the nearby parking lot, though the wreck itself has been heavily damaged by treasure divers and is now overgrown with kelp. Despite its condition, it remains an easy dive site, though caution is advised as entering the water during high swells can be dangerous.View details →ShipwrecksAntipolis
Cape Town, Western CapeThe Antipolis, a 25,000-ton Greek oil tanker, ran aground during a storm in July 1977 while being towed for scrap, and its remains became a popular dive site for decades until powerful swells in January 2022 shifted a large section of the wreck closer to shore, where it is now highly visible from the coast.View details →ShipwrecksBos 400
Cape Town, Western CapeBOS 400 was a French derrick/lay barge that ran aground while being towed by the Russian tugboat Tigr on June 26, 1994. Tigr was chartered to tow BOS 400 from Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo to Cape Town, South Africa.View details →ShipwrecksMFV Harvest Capella
Cape Town, Western CapeThe MFV Harvest Capella was a 44-meter-long South African diesel trawler owned by the Sea Harvest fishing company. It ran aground on the rocks of the Oudeschip Peninsula (near Hout Bay) in early October 1987 during a severe south-easterly gale.View details →ShipwrecksCommodore II shipwreck
Cape Town, Western CapeThe remains of the Commodore II, a historic wooden four-masted schooner, are currently located at Lagoon Beach in Milnerton, Cape Town. Once a local landmark that frequently drifted through the Milnerton Lagoon after being uncovered by a storm in 2008, the wreckage was permanently relocated in November 2018 to a dedicated site near the Lagoon Beach Hotel parking lot for better preservation. Features: Interpretive signage has been planned for the site to share the ship's storied history, including its 1935 appearance in the film Mutiny on the Bounty.View details →ShipwrecksNieuwe Haerlem
Cape Town, Western CapeThe shipwreck of the Nieuwe Haerlem (also known as Nieuw Haarlem or simply Haarlem) is considered the most significant maritime disaster in South African history because it directly led to the founding of Cape Town. The wreck of the Nieuwe Haerlem in 1647 was the accidental catalyst for the European settlement of South Africa. After the Dutch East India Company ship ran aground in Table Bay, 62 survivors remained behind for a year to guard the salvaged cargo, building a temporary fort called Zandenburch. Their successful survival and peaceful trade with the local Khoe Khoen (Khoi or Khoikhoi) people proved that the Cape was not just a graveyard for ships, but a viable location for a permanent base. These positive reports ultimately convinced the VOC to dispatch Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 to establish the refreshment station that would eventually grow into the city of Cape Town. Recent surveys and test excavations have identified a site near Table View (specifically southwest of the Dolphin Beach Hotel) where a structure matching the ship's description lies buried under 3 to 4 metres of sediment.View details →ShipwrecksSS Thomas T. Tucker Shipwreck
Cape Town, Western CapeThe SS Thomas T. Tucker Shipwreck Trail is one of the most rewarding short hikes in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, offering a hauntingly beautiful blend of maritime history and rugged coastal scenery. The easy, flat walk from the Olifantsbos parking area winds through pristine fynbos before opening up to a wild beach where the massive, rusted remains of a WWII Liberty Ship are scattered across the rocks. It’s a surreal experience to stand beside the weathered hull sections and massive boilers while ostriches and bontebok roam the nearby dunes. Whether you're a photography enthusiast looking for the perfect shot of salt-crusted iron against the Atlantic or a family seeking an accessible trail with a "treasure hunt" feel, this hike perfectly captures the raw and untamed spirit of the Shipwreck Coast.View details →See all 8 shipwrecks in Western Cape — free
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