South africas whale season is starting to take off and soon along the west coast you will spot whale pods as they wow spectators with their formidable presence mere metres off the coastline. The local whale watching season lasts between midapril and late october, providing you with the most ideal weather for observing the largest mammals on earth. Every year, southern right whales take a vacation in cape waters, treating cape town locals to a display of breaching, fluking, spouting, and spyhopping. Going on a whale watching trip is one of the things to do in simons town if not the only thing, as its a pretty small but quaint place located on the cape peninsula at false bay. At least 37 species of whales and dolphins can be found in the waters off south africa. Only a 2 hour drive from cape town transport options are available, dyer island cruises offers our guests the potential to see more marine wildlife in one trip, than anywhere else in the country. If you want to experience south africas incredible marine wildlife for yourself, dont hesitate to get in touch. The cape whale route is a 900kilometrelong stretch of coastline that extends from strandfontein near muizenberg to plettenberg bay in the southern cape. Just a 2 hour drive from cape town to the whale capital of. Tooting the title of one of the best landbased whale watching spots in the world, our favourite contender is undoubtedly the sensational tiny town of hermanus, just 2 hours away from cape town.
Its a goodsized vessel measuring in at feet in total length, with comfy interior cabins, a wellstocked galley, and outdoor decks for upclose viewing. Hermanus in the western cape during the whale season. Watch the worlds gentle giants of the deep frolic in waters of walker bay. No visit to cape town during whale season is completed, without visiting hermanus for a whale watching experience. Here are some of our ideas for whale watching between august and november. Every year from around august until late november, southern right whales come into the bays across the capes coastlines to breed and calve. Although the landbased whale watching is not as great as hermanus, there are some secluded bays along the garden route which are favorite feeding grounds for whales including knysna, mossel bay, and plettenberg bay in mossel bay, there is a threehour boatbased whale watching trip to seal. The animals can be clearly seen from a scenic clifftop walk, and the town holds a whale watching festival every september. To fully immerse yourself in the whale experience, visit hermanus during the first week of october when the seaside town hosts an annual whale festivala celebration of all things cetacean. Any stay at the twelve apostles luxury hotel can be made even more special with this oneofakind wildlife experience. Hermanus whale watching near cape town, gansbaai in south. The best place to see these creatures is along the famous whale route, which spans along the coastline passing gordons bay, pringle bay and bettys bay en route to hermanus.
The festival takes place between 2729 september, which is the peak of whale activity in the region. The travel experience of visiting hermanus during whale. Whale season is from june to november, but outside of this period, the. A boatbased trip to seal island brings you upclose to a huge colony of cape fur seals. Sometimes they arrive earlier and stay later, with prime whale watching. Plan a summer beach holiday, come for whale watching in winter, blooming flowers in spring or hiking 18664388677. Whale season typically runs between august and november in the cape, and each season, large numbers of whales can be seen along the coast. Compilation of footage taken during the 2017 whale season in hermanus, south africa. Watch as whales come within metres of the shores, and join in on the festivities of the annual hermanus whale festival this year held on.
The western cape is one of the top whale watching destinations of the world rated number two by uks the telegraph, and we are particularly lucky to have some of the best spots not too far off from our capital of cape town where we can witness these glorious creatures amidst their annual migratory patterns. Wedged between the mountain and the sea, the quaint hamlet of hermanus has been rated by the world wildlife fund wwf as one of the twelve best whale watching locations in the world, and it is often regarded as the heart of the whale route. Southern right charters offers boatbased whale watching tours from the. Pair that with the unparalleled surrounding natural beauty of this scenic, special country and you have an unforgettable experience lined up. The boatbased whale watching trip is not capped and is from 1hr 30m 3hrs maximum. Along the cape whale coast the area between rooiels pringle bay and pearly beach. Begun in the early 1800s by its namesake, hermanus pieters, the people of the town have defended its quaint, sleepy small town feel. Cape town whale watching whale watching in hermanus. Southern right whales have been reported to still be in hermanus. Whale watching on cape cod is the best way to experience the areas unique natural landscape, species diversity and nautical history all in one salttinged outing. Hermanus whale watching is renowned for the most prolific whale viewing experience in the world. And so i hit the road from cape town with my father on a mild october morning, on a mission to watch some whales.
Whale season is between june and november and youre as likely to see the gentle giants while youre on an ocean trip as you are with your feet on dry land. You are also more likely to spot whales north of cape town, than in and around the city the west coast gets its fair share of the southern right whale, particularly at melkbosstrand, bok point, yzerfontein, the rocherpan nature reserve near dwarskersbos, lamberts bay and saldanha bay. South africa may be known for its big five, but the marine wildlife is just as impressive. From july to november the southern right whale comes to breed in the bay near this seaside town, an easy and beautiful drive from cape town. Further south, the town of hermanus in walker bay on the cape south coast offers possibly the best landbased whale watching in the world. Distance from cape town around 3 hours and 30 minutes. Take this opportunity to go whale watching from one of the best landbased viewing spots in the world, hermanus. Scheduled transfers can be arranged from cape town or hermanus at an additional cost. Wanderers whale watching cape town tour begins with a scenic coastal drive from cape town s city centre, passing through the harbor town gordons bay and the beach hamlet pringle bay, before an optional stop at bettys bay where you will visit the large colony of african penguin at the stony point nature reserve and the harold porter. How to make the most of the whale season in cape town. For the best hermanus whale watching experience, there is no better choice than ivanhoe sea safaris 5yrs consecutive winner of certificate of excellence, and with a proven track record since 1996, the company has established a reputation of offering an unrivaled. Well typically the whale season in hermanus is between june and december every year.
Hermanus whale watching best close encounters, purpose. Whale watcher is a stateoftheart, highspeed, waterjet driven ship thats designed and built especially for whale watching. Capetourism has a collection of photos of the whales and great white sharks in false bay, cape town. Best time for whale watching in south africa rhino africa. Hermanus, the whale capital, was ranked in the top 12 whale watching locations in the world by the world wildlife fund. There are plenty of boat companies that provide whale watching at the cape but we ended up doing a trip with simons town boat company thanks to cape town travel. The peak whale season runs from june to mid december, annually. Whale season is just around the corner and this massive creature brings it in with a thrilling performance. How to make sure you dont miss anything this whale watching season menstuff every year, between june and december, southern right whales journey to south african shores to mate and calve. Whale watching in south africa southern right charters. Hermanus whale season whale watching hermanus 2019. Hermanus has a funny way of getting under your skin. Now that you understand a bit more about the whales, where are the best places to see them during whale season. Cape town whale watching south africa whale watching.
How to make sure you dont miss anything this whale. Watch as whales come within metres of the shores, and. We share news and blog articles from across our various wildlife tours and marine big 5 adventures. The hermanus whale season when is the hermanus whale season. How to make sure you dont miss anything this whale watching season. It is a truly idyllic little coastal town happily situated between the kleinrivier mountains and the ocean. Hermanus is a small town off the southern coast of the western cape of south africa. Hermanus is a seaside town no more than an hour drive from cape town and is rated by the wwf as one of the 12 best whale watching destinations. Spend some time gazing out to see over walker bay and youre sure to spot a whale or two. A whale watching destination, hermanus offers prime viewing points for observing these giants of the deep from the shore. The west coast is not only esteemed for its seafood.
This tour combines the best of cape town with the country charm of the winelands and the thrill of whale watching to deliver a. This day trip offers the unique opportunity to join both a thrilling shark cage diving and viewing trip as well as a boatbased whale watching trip for sightings of these. Whale watching in south africa home brand south africa. Where to go dolphin and whale watching in cape town 12. Travel to hermanus to see right whales off the coast or upgrade your tour with an optional whale watching cruise. With over 12kms worth of coastal hiking trails, elevated hills and quaint seaside restaurants, hermanus offers an unparalleled whale watching experience. There are lots of tour companies that offer boat tours out to sea to spend time with the whales. You will also enjoy a wine tasting at bouchard finlayson wine estate.
The guides know where all the best whaleviewing spots are and have even reported seeing the same whales year after year. The whale route starts along the south of cape town and extends to durban, 1,200 plus miles of whale watching coastline. Whale watching and marine big 5 tours in south africa. The exact date all depends when the star performers arrive and depart. Hermanus is without a doubt the whale capital of south africa. But this portion of the coastline, which includes the towns of kleinmond, hermanus. Every year from around august until late november, southern right whales come into the bays across the cape s coastlines to breed and calve. Every year this great town hosts the hermanus whale festival from 29 september to 1 october. Whale watching south africa humpbacks, southern rights. Whale season is an amazing time of year, when southern right whales come to breed and calve within. When is the best time to visit to see great white sharks. Hermanus whale watching best close encounters, purpose built boat. Hermanus about two hours outside of cape town along the garden route, hermanus is famous for its whale watching.
Whale watching season in hermanus cape towns unique no. Perfect for families and honeymooners, mosselberg on grotto beach is an ideal closeto cape town beach getaway offering relaxation as. It depends on traveling time to the hermanus whales on that trip. Whale watching in the western cape south africa travel news. Not strictly true, as the cape whale route stretches for over 900 kilometres, from doringbaai on the west coast, all the way to storms river mouth on the garden route. Watch as whales come within metres of the shores, and join in on the festivities of the annual hermanus whale festival this year held on the 29th of september until the 1st of october 2017. Only a two hour drive from cape town, this little town is the heart of the whale route. Whale watching and marine wildlife tours dyer island cruises. The only town in the world that has a whale crier, hermanus has someone on duty throughout whale season to sound a call when whales are in the bay. Right where the shark diving operates in gansbaai, is one of the best places in the world to see whales right from the shore.
Between august and november, the chance to see whales in cape town brings large numbers of visitors to various whale watching hotspots across the peninsula. Cape agulhus is another popular whale watching area. Whale watching in cape town and surrounds nox rentals. Every year, southern right whales travel to our shores from antartica, treating. In cape town itself, you can see them from the road along the false bay. Some years the southern right whales have arrived as early as april but the usual time for them to start arriving is at the end of may. You may catch a glimpse of one of these gentle giants breaching. Sometimes they arrive earlier and stay later, with prime whalewatching season peaking between august and october. Whale watching along the coast of south africa one will undoubtedly enjoy spectacular water acrobatic displays. The route traverses several famous protected areas, including the garden route, tsitsikamma national park, and the transkei. Approximately an hour and a half away from cape town is the seaside town of hermanus. I have never known if it is the laid back atmosphere of a seaside town, the claimed most oxygenated air in the world or the proximity of spectacular nature so close to you at all times all i know is that it is a special place. The best whalewatching spots in the cape cape town.
Cape town whale watching whale viewing simons town. Every year, between june and december, southern right whales journey to south african shores to mate and calve. Every year, between june and december, southern right whales journey to our shores to mate and calve, giving us the aweinspiring opportunity to get up close with them. Over a period of 3 days, this fishing village will once again bursts into life when thousands of visitors descend upon the town to join in the festivities of this popular event. At any time of year, the cape peninsula is home to a bounty of marine mammals with plentiful opportunities to go dolphin and whale watching in cape town. Whale season is an amazing time of year, when southern right whales come to breed and calve within the coastal waters and bays in the southern tip of africa.