STORY: Exploring Namibia's Cape Cross Seal Reserve
DATELINE: Oct. 12, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:31
LOCATION: SWAKOPMUND, Namibia
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Cape Cross Seal Reserve

STORYLINE:

Located in the northwestern part of Namibia, Cape Cross Seal Reserve is one of the largest settlements of the Cape fur seals in the world, with more than 200,000 seals living in this area. 

Attracted by the sufficient fish provided by the nutrient-rich waters of the Benguela current, the seals congregate on the rocky shoreline year-round. 

Male seals will arrive at the reserve in large numbers by the end of October to fight for their territories and the right to mate with females. 

With their big eyes, small ears and charmingly naive shape, they are loved by tourists from all over the world, and the reserve has become one of the must-go attractions for tourists. 

Although it is called a Cape fur seal, it is not a "true seal."

Officially known as "eared seals" or "otariids," fur seals differ from true seals in that their ears have external flaps, they have large fore flippers, and their hind flippers are not connected to the pelvis and can be rotated forward. 

These adaptations give eared seals the ability to walk and gallop on land, hear the direction of sound in the air, and swim and maneuver much more powerfully than true seals.

Namibia has a large number of Cape fur seals, which can be found in any corner of the beach, and because of the long-time of "peaceful coexistence" with human beings. 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Swakopmund, Namibia.
(XHTV)