Once a prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated along with other inmates during apartheid in South Africa, and at other time a leper colony and a whaling station, Robben Island is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It takes its name from a Dutch word for "seals," a sea mammal still found in the Atlantic waters of the region. Situated in Table Bay about 10 km north of Cape Town, the island is accessed via boat from the V&A Waterfront. In the shadow of Table Mountain, visitors can explore the cells where Mandela and apartheid's prisoners were kept. Today the island is managed by the Robben Island Museum that maintains it as national estate of South Africa.