Break the surface of Cape Town's coastal waters and you'll find a golden forest. Thickets of sea bamboo kelp sway in the cold ocean swell, amber ribbons rippling out from tall limpet-clad stems anchored to the seabed. To the human ear, it's quiet. A shoal of silvery seabream wiggle past. Rays of sunlight dart through the briny turquoise water, gilding the dancing kelp fronds. An octopus lies almost hidden under a rock; boulder walls are encrusted with orange starfish and amethyst-toned sea urchins. Slinky pyjama sharks glide between the kelp.
