{{mi| {{travel guide|date=September 2020}} {{mcn|date=March 2026}} }} {{Infobox settlement | name = Dana Bay | pushpin_map = South Africa Western Cape#South Africa | coordinates = {{coord|34|11|57|S|22|02|30|E|region:ZA|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[South Africa]] | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = [[Western Cape]] | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = [[Garden Route District Municipality|Garden Route]] | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = [[Mossel Bay Local Municipality|Mossel Bay]] | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | leader_title = Councillor | area_footnotes = <ref name="census2011">{{cite web |url=http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/176014019 |title = Sub Place Danabaai |work=Census 2011}}</ref> | area_total_km2 = 9.66 | population_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" /> | population_total = 2590 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_density_km2 = auto <!-- demographics (section 1) --> | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011) | demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" /> | demographics1_title1 = [[Bantu peoples of South Africa|Black African]] | demographics1_info1 = 5.0% | demographics1_title2 = [[Coloureds|Coloured]] | demographics1_info2 = 3.0% | demographics1_title3 = [[Indian South African|Indian]]/[[Asian South African|Asian]] | demographics1_info3 = 0.2% | demographics1_title4 = [[White South African|White]] | demographics1_info4 = 90.7% | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 = 1.0% <!-- demographics (section 2) --> | demographics_type2 = [[First language]]s (2011) | demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="census2011" /> | demographics2_title1 = [[Afrikaans]] | demographics2_info1 = 79.5% | demographics2_title2 = [[English language|English]] | demographics2_info2 = 16.4% | demographics2_title3 = | demographics2_info3 = | demographics2_title4 = | demographics2_info4 = | demographics2_title5 = Other | demographics2_info5 = 4.0% <!-- blank fields (section 2) --> <!-- Other information --> | timezone1 = [[South African Standard Time|SAST]] | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = [[List of postal codes in South Africa|Postal code]] (street) | postal_code = | postal2_code_type = [[Post-office box|PO box]] | postal2_code = 6510 | area_code_type = [[Telephone numbers in South Africa|Area code]] }} '''Dana Bay''' ({{langx|af|Danabaai}}) is a village in the [[Mossel Bay Municipality]] of [[Western Cape, South Africa]]. Dana Bay lies approximately halfway between [[Port Elizabeth]] and [[Cape Town]] and is 4 kilometers off the [[N2 highway]] with the central part of Mossel Bay about 12 kilometers away.
There are no hotels in Dana Bay however there are multiple [[bed and breakfast]] establishments and a new{{when|date=March 2026}} specialised medical centre.
This area is hosts a variety of free roaming animals. It is not uncommon to find [[Cape bushbuck|bushbuck]], [[mongoose]], [[tortoise]], [[porcupine]], [[guineafowl]] and [[cape spurfowl]]. [[Cape grysbok|Grysbok]] can also be seen. There is a breeding pair of [[rock kestrels]] and [[jackal buzzards]] within the area, and on the cliffs not far away is a pair of [[peregrine falcons]]. A list of common birds in the area is to be found below. Snakes are a regular occurrence such as [[Cape cobra]] and [[puffadder]]. The fire department plays an important role in capturing them and releasing them further away.
The bay frequently plays host to the [[Bryde's whale]] and from June to late October the [[southern right whale]] and [[humpback whale]] can be spotted quite often.
On a fairly regular basis, [[Bottlenose dolphin]]s can be seen frolicking in the surf or a little further out in the bay. [[Cape gannet]]s frequently dive into the sea and then resurface a moment later with a fish in their beak.
Dana Bay is a recognised [[conservancy]], hosting coastal and limestone varieties of [[fynbos]] and supports one of the highest numbers of endemic species in the [[Cape Floristic Region]]. The area outside of the village is mostly surrounded by the farm Rem Droogfontein 245, which does not form part of the conservancy. However, in its natural untouched state it hosts a large proportion of free roaming animals which regularly cross in and out of the conservancy area.
The area is rich in history regarding the [[Khoisan people]] that found a home here and archeological findings date back almost 175,000 years.
Bird species to be found in the area include:
[[Cape gannet]], [[white-breasted cormorant]], [[cape cormorant]], [[grey heron]], [[blue crane]], [[hadeda ibis]], [[Booted eagle]], [[jackal buzzard]], [[African harrier-hawk]], [[peregrine falcon]], [[rock kestrel]], [[black-shouldered kite]], [[black sparrowhawk]] dark morph, [[spotted eagle-owl]], [[black Harrier]], [[cape spurfowl]], [[helmeted guineafowl]], [[African black oystercatcher]], [[white-fronted plover]], [[kelp gull]], [[sandwich tern]], [[swift tern]], [[speckled pigeon]], [[red-eyed dove]], [[laughing dove]], [[cape turtle dove]], [[Knysna turaco]], [[Burchell's coucal]] Southern Variant, [[speckled mousebird]], [[red-faced mousebird]], [[brown-hooded kingfisher]], [[giant kingfisher]], [[African hoopoe]], [[barn swallow]], [[greater striped swallow]], [[rock martin]], [[common house martin]], [[brown-throated martin]], [[fork-tailed drongo]], [[black cuckooshrike]], [[pied crow]], [[white-necked raven]], [[cape bulbul]], [[sombre greenbul]], [[terrestrial brownbul]], [[cape rock thrush]], [[cape robin-chat]], [[bar-throated apalis]], [[cape penduline tit]], [[tawny-flanked prinia]], [[karoo prinia]], [[fiscal flycatcher]], [[paradise flycatcher]], [[common fiscal]], [[cape wagtail]], [[southern boubou]], [[southern tchagra]], [[bokmakierie]], [[common starling]], [[cape sugarbird]], [[malachite sunbird]], [[southern double-collared sunbird]], [[greater double-collared sunbird]], [[amethyst sunbird]], [[orange-breasted sunbird]], [[cape white-eye]], [[house sparrow]], [[cape sparrow]], [[streaky-headed seedeater]], [[cape bunting]], [[cape weaver]], [[yellow bishop]], [[cape canary]], [[yellow canary]], [[brimstone canary]], [[white-throated canary]], [[cardinal woodpecker]], [[Knysna woodpecker]], [[fiery-necked nightjar]], [[spotted thick-knee]], [[swee waxbill]], [[pin-tailed whydah]], [[hamerkop]]
<ref name=stcpt>{{cite web|title=Danabaai|url=http://www.southcapetourism.com/wpbdm-category/accommodation-in-danabaai-southern-cape-south-africa|publisher=South Cape Tourism|accessdate=15 January 2014|archive-date=16 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116125221/http://www.southcapetourism.com/wpbdm-category/accommodation-in-danabaai-southern-cape-south-africa|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Eden District Municipality}} {{Authority control}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Dana Bay}} [[Category:Populated places in the Mossel Bay Local Municipality]]