Gansbaai, south africa is the best location for spotting whales, seals, sharks, dolphins and penguins all in a single trip. The simons town tour will save us a bit of time as we can combine this with a visit to the penguins. Now that you understand a bit more about the whales, where are the best places to see them during whale season. There was a big swell on the day, as can be seen from the movement of the boat. The centre of south african whale watching is hermanus at the walker bay, 100 kilometers east of cape town. Boat based whale watching in simons town 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. Dyer island crusies also visits the 60,000 strong cape fur seal colony of geyser rock, the great white sharks in the shallows, and the african penguin colony of dyer island so it is much more than just whale watching.
Where to go dolphin and whale watching in cape town 12. Join us on a wonderful cape town day trip marine safari that takes us to see the mighty southern wright whale. Cape town is blessed with being the only place in the world where one could quite possibly see a great white shark and a whale on the same boat. Boatbased whale watching tours also depart from plettenberg bay. Here are our 5 best whale watching spots along the cape coast cape towns peninsula. No trip to the table bay hotel in cape town during whale season is complete without a hermanus whale watching experience. Hermanus whale watching season runs from june to december however, these are wild animals and should the whales change their migration schedule arrive early and leave later we will adjust our schedule accordingly.
Cape nature, bayworld, various boat based whale watching and. If you want to experience south africas incredible marine wildlife for yourself, dont hesitate to get in touch. Further south, the town of hermanus in walker bay on the cape south coast offers possibly the best landbased whalewatching in the world. Dog friendly accommodation in cape town cape town with its incredible mountain, weather. The largest and fastest whale and dolphin watching boats in all of new jersey and the only. Best place to watch cape town whales false bay simonstown. Get hold of a city pass to enjoy free entry to over 70 cape town attractions, including whale watching. Cape town day tours offer boatbased whale watching trips from cape town, too, which after a scenic drive along false bay, depart from the coastal town of hermanus. Sawdn yzerfontein and oudekraal 3 whales assisted in 3. Hi everyone, we are visiting cape town next month and would like to go on a whale watching boat trip. From july to december the pods of whales grace the shores of southern africa. Whale watching season in hermanus cape towns unique no. The best time to enjoy whale watching in hermanus is between july and november either from land.
The whale route starts along the south of cape town and extends to durban, 1,200 plus miles of whale watching coastline. Whale watching in cape town bayview guest house and self. The brydes whale was spotted floating in the water at sonwabi beach on tuesday, but by wednesday. At 10h40, thursday, 05th march, sa whale disentanglement network sawdn were activated to reports of a. Between june and october every year they put on a spectacular showcase on the cape whale coast hermanus. Is there any possibilities for whale watching around cape town area in march. Whale watching in south africa home brand south africa. Southern right whale facts we all want to watch whales near cape town in places like simons town or hermanus. 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.
The route traverses several famous protected areas, including the garden route, tsitsikamma national park, and the transkei. Cape town is a good whale viewing location, but there are more spots to be found eastwards, along the southern coastline. Thousands of visitors drive to the seaside town to watch them frolic in the ocean, they are playful in nature and everyone is guaranteed a theatrical performance. Capetourism has a collection of photos of the whales and great white sharks in. In cape town, false bay on the citys southern edge, offers exceptional shorebased whale watching some of the top locations along the cape coast for watching whales are. We went to see the whales at the peak of south africas whale season. But there are other places closer to cape town as well. Whale views gordons bay cape town nestling at the foot of the beautiful hottentot holland mountains where they tumble into the sea at gordons bay, whaleviews offers two self catering apartments dolphins leap and dolphins rest.
There is also a whale festival, attracting up to 100. March is the offseason, but we can still find brydes whales in the bay. Waines world whale watching march 2016 cape town south africa. Hermanus is listed among the worlds top whale watching destinations and in. South africa the best tips for whale watching in south.
Every year, southern right whales take a vacation in cape waters, treating cape town locals to a display of breaching, fluking, spouting, and spyhopping. Apartment a whale of a time, fish hoek, south africa. The western cape is better known for whale spotting than the eastern cape and also happened to be where most of our south african road trip took place. The high cliffs of the western cape provide an ideal vantage point for the seasonal whale watching of southern right whales and the seaside town of hermanus holds its annual whale festival in september in celebration of all things cetacean. We dont realise how lucky we are in south africa, and in particular the western cape, to have the mightiest of the. Originally i planned to get to hermanus but then i found out about the tours from simons town. Heres what you need to know about whale watching in cape town. The month of september marks the beginning of the whale festival that celebrates the migration of whales with several music and food tasting events. A south african beach popular with christmas holidaymakers has been closed until the carcass of a beached whale is removed amid concerns its blood may attract sharks, the city of. In cape town, you can sometimes spot whales from along the road on the false bay coast. Interesting activities in and around cape town and south africa. Whalewatching waters off the coast of southern africa run from false bay, south of cape.
The water between these two spots is known as shark alley, with whale hotspots nearby, as well as pods of dolphins. 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. You can look out for humpback whales in cape town during summer, or, during whale season, you could try a whale watching tour to see southern right whales. You can download the high res pdf of the emergency numbers here. Whale watching south africa humpbacks, southern rights. Sawdn south african whale disentanglement network volunteers were. This fishing village less than 2 hours away from cape town is the ideal spot for whale watching. These southern right whales were filmed on a whale watching trip with simons town boat company in false bay. Just a 2 hour drive from cape town to the whale capital of. Voted one of the best destinations for watching marine animals worldwide by the telegraph, hermanus has become the south african authority for whale watching. Hermanus about two hours outside of cape town along the garden route, hermanus is famous for its whale watching. Climate march has some of the best weather of the year since daytime temperatures are still balmy while the windy days of peak summertime fade away. The seaside town of hermanus is once again honouring its most famous visitor, the southern right whale, at the 28th annual hermanus whale festival from september 27 to 29, 2019. Heading out to sea will give you a spectacular new perspective on the cape point coastline, and increase your chances of seeing whales.
The following are spots where we saw whales during our trip. Take this opportunity to go whale watching from one of the best landbased viewing spots in the world, hermanus. Speak to the concierge or travel desk about organising hermanus boat charters, which promise the possibility of seeing not only southern right whales, but dolphins, seals and otters too. Set on a hill with majestic views over the ocean, a whale of a time offers wellappointed accommodations in a thatched roof house in fish hoek. I have never done the boat trip, as boats and i just dont get on. The closest one is false bay, hermanus, and cape agulhus. With two oceans and an abundance of natural diversity to explore, seeing whales in cape town is. Only three hours out of cape town, explore the beautiful, diverse and fynbosfilled nature reserve, breathing in the salty sea air and staying at. Cape town people, geography, activities and tourist information about cape town from oceans africa. By clicking on or navigating the site, you agree to our use of cookies. The detailed itinerary, available by download or mail, gives.
Head up boyes drive, drive along the coastal road between fish hoek and simons town, or along chapmans peak when its open again and somewhere along the route people will be standing in clumps, binoculars at the ready. Set on the edge of the wine route, they are the perfect exclusive getaways from where you can explore cape town and the western cape. Best option for whale watching cape town central message. Contrary to what many may think, whale watching in cape town can be pursued just around the corner from mother city. From cape town to botswana discover south africas beautiful cape town, zambias worldfamous victoria falls, and safari in botswanas legendary chobe national park, with its massive herds of elephants. Visitors can observe the whale from land, on the water, on the cliffs tracks or on boat rides. Id love to do some whale watching while there but i understand that march isnt a very good time for it.
Approximately an hour and a half away from cape town is the seaside town of hermanus. Waines world whale watching march 2016 cape town south. 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. Southern right whales are the main attraction for whale watchers in south africa from june to november. Hermanus the town of hermanus has proclaimed itself the whale capital of the world and its not far off. But what are all the interesting facts on southern right whales. For those with interests other than birdwatching, there is another exciting world to experience in cape town and the rest of south africa. Hermanus whale watching is renowned for the most prolific whale viewing experience in the world. But where is the best place to see whales, cape town. Dead whale closes popular south african beach amid shark.
Whale watching in south africa cape whale coast youtube. Every year, southern right whales travel to our shores from antartica, treating. Here are some of our ideas for whale watching between august and november. Cape town in march everything to know discover africa. The peak time, when daily sightings are virtually guaranteed, is during september and october. Most of the time this indicates someone has spotted a whale and it would be. This has not changed and the cape whale coast participated in three trade shows from april to june. Whale watching tour cape town hermanus gansbaai whale and dolphin watching tour.
Best time for whale watching in south africa rhino africa. It is always great to interact with our local market. The property offers free parking, and cape town international airport is 16 mi away. Only a two hour drive from cape town, this little town is the heart of the whale route. Watch the worlds gentle giants of the deep frolic in waters of walker bay. Cape town getaway at lourensford estate, somerset west from 1 3 april. Southern right whales migrate from the antarctic around june to calve and mate. We share news and blog articles from across our various wildlife tours and marine big 5 adventures. If you happen to find yourself in, or around cape town between june and november, do make sure to look out for whales. From may to november, pods of whales migrate to warmer waters to mate.
Humpbacks and brydes whales are mostly spotted offshore from boats, but by far the most commonly sighted species, either from land or from a boat, is the southern right whale. Whale watching in the western cape south africa travel news. Take this opportunity to go whale watching from one of the best. Cape town whale watching south africa whale watching. This site uses cookies to improve your experience, to enhance site security and to show you personalized advertising. You are here south africa travel news activities bitten by the whale watching bug. Whale watching is one of the major attractions of the western cape. Expect daytime temperatures in the mid 20s, mild evenings and little to no rain. At least 37 species of whales and dolphins can be found in the waters off south africa. All you need to know about whale watching in south africa.
Sawdn volunteers including additional crew from cape town and nsri melkbosstrand. We have chosen a few of our favourite activities that we believe will give you a wider appreciation and greater enjoyment of south africa. Whale watching and marine big 5 tours in south africa. Whether from land or boats you can expect to have the most spectacular sightings of whales every year from june.
Hermanus whale watching near cape town, gansbaai in south. Accommodation gordons bay, cape town whale views luxury. Hermanus whale watching best close encounters, purpose. Cape town a metre long whale carcass was towed away from a cape flats beach on wednesday. Table mountain in cape town is an icon of south africa and its over 2. A popular holiday destination for tourists and locals alike, hermanus is hailed as offering the best land based whale watching in the world. You will also enjoy a wine tasting at bouchard finlayson wine estate. Every year between june and december, southern right and humpback whales can be seen along the south coast from cape town to mossel bay. The whales migrate annually from antarctica to the coast around cape town to calve their offspring. The animals can be clearly seen from a scenic clifftop walk, and the town holds a whalewatching festival every september. They usually arrive in june and stay until november. Whale watching day trip from cape town lonely planet. You are guaranteed sightings in a boat and i hve met plenty of people who have done the boat trip and been very pleased with the experience however a cliff walk if there are whales in the bay is very rewarding too.
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