The Port of Saldanha Bay, South Africa’s largest natural anchorage and port with the deepest water is 60 nautical miles northwest of Cape Town.

Situated at Longitude 17º 58′ E and Latitude 33º 02′ S, Saldanha Bay is partly protected by a 3.1km long artificial breakwater.

The Dutch explorer Van Spilbergen visited Saldanha Bay in 1601, and probably only the lack of fresh water prevented this otherwise excellent natural harbour from becoming the major port along the south coast of Africa instead of Cape Town.