Diaz Beach, Cape Point, South Africa. Diaz Beach, a pocket beach in the Cape Point nature reserve at the tip of the South African Cape Peninsula, lies about 60 km southwest of Cape Town between the Atlantic Ocean and False Bay. The Cape Point Natural World Heritage Site occurs in Table Mountain National Park and includes over 7750 ha of varied flora and fauna. The natural vegetation of the area, fynbos, comprises the smallest but richest of the world's six floral kingdoms with more than 9000 plant species found here. Cape Point is known for its buck, baboons, the Cape Hyrax (Procavia capensis), the Cape Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra zebra), and more than 250 species of birds. One of the Global Atmosphere Watch's atmospheric research stations is also found at this location.

 The two main rock formations at Cape Point include the late-Precambrian Malmesbury Group (metamorphic rock) and the Peninsula Granite batholith that intruded the Malmesbury Group about 630 million years ago. Table Mountain Group sandstones, which come from stream channels and tidal flats that extended across the region, were deposited about 450 million years ago on the eroded granite and metamorphic rock surfaces. Cape Point rock ledges generally contain a near vertical dip, which is visible above Diaz Beach in the backbeach cliffs between the rocky headlands. Diaz Beach was named after the Portuguese explorer, Bartolomeu Dias, who was the first to navigate the dangerous Cape Peninsula in 1488, giving it the distinction of being the ′Cape of Storms.′ Several rip heads are visible beyond the surf zone in this low-tide view along the coast. (Photograph taken 21 April 2014 by Christopher Makowski, Coastal Education and Research Foundation [CERF], and caption by Christopher Makowski and Charles W. Finkl, Coastal Education and Research Foundation [CERF].)