Britannia Bay

Place in Western Cape, South Africa
Britannia Bay
Brittaniabaai
32°43′01″S 17°57′14″E / 32.717°S 17.954°E / -32.717; 17.954
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
DistrictWest Coast
MunicipalitySaldanha Bay
Area
 • Total1.49 km2 (0.58 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total210
 • Density140/km2 (370/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African4.8%
 • Coloured3.3%
 • White91.0%
 • Other1.0%
First languages (2011)
 • Afrikaans82.2%
 • English14.4%
 • Other3.4%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
PO box
7382

Britannia Bay is a small town in the West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa, approximately 141 kilometres (88 mi) from Cape Town.

The village takes its name from a British East Indiaman ship which was badly damaged by a reef in the bay. Rediscovered in January 1998, the wreck of the Britannia has been placed under the supervision of the Council for National Monuments.

In June 2020, a well-preserved giant squid washed up on a nearby beach.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Sub Place Britannia Bay". Census 2011.
  2. ^ "Stunningly intact giant squid washes ashore in South Africa - Live Science". www.livescience.com. Retrieved 2020-06-18.