Hout Bay Seal Rescue Centre

About us

It all started in 1999 when Francois Hugo started Seal Alert. A centre where he saved and rehabilitated injured and dying seals. Although his mission was simple it wasn’t always easy. The centre had very little support and was faced with continuous scrutiny from external parties but this never swayed Francois Hugo from his life’s work, helping seals. It has been said that he had a connection with these incredible marine mammals like no-other, some even called him the seal whisperer. He had what can only be described as a seal sense, a deeper understanding of these wild animals which connected him to them in a way very few people could understand. Francois spent decades protecting cape fur seals and helping them flourish in the Western Cape, right up until his dying day in 2018.

With no-one to follow in his footsteps, the centre was almost forgotten and left for ruin until 2019, when former seal rescuer Kim Krynauw, who had worked along side Francois Hugo, stepped up and took over the remains of Francisco Hugo’s legacy.