Every year from August to end November, these gentle giants flock to our shores to calve and mate, and inevitably, every year, thousands of visitors come out to look at them.
It’s not hard to see why. No matter how many whales you’ve seen, spotting another will always give you a thrill. And the whales have astonishingly good taste too, picking some of the most beautiful stretches of coast for their activities, making the prospect of a whale watching trip all the more inviting. Guess when you spend most of your year in Antarctica you feel the need of a summer holiday more than most.
It’s not hard to see why. No matter how many whales you’ve seen, spotting another will always give you a thrill. And the whales have astonishingly good taste too, picking some of the most beautiful stretches of coast for their activities, making the prospect of a whale watching trip all the more inviting. Guess when you spend most of your year in Antarctica you feel the need of a summer holiday more than most.
South Africa’s Whale Route stretches from Cape Point area for 2000 km all the way along the coast to St Lucia north of Durban .
Some 37 species of whales and dolphins are found in South African waters, but the most common are the southern right whales (in spring), which are frequently encrusted with white barnacles, and humpback whales. Bryde’s and orcas are also seen occasionally, while bottlenose and humpback dolphins are in abundance, especially in the warmer waters around KwaZulu-Natal. Most of the excitement tends to be around the southern right whales, as they’re a very vulnerable species.
The best viewing spots
Popular viewing spots include the Cape Peninsula, False Bay, Hermanus, Arniston, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay along the Cape Coast, to the Wild Coast, KwaZulu Natal south, Durban Bay and the north coast up to St Lucia and further.
Hermanus, of course, puts on its Whale Festival every year in late September. It's nine days filled with music, theatre, sport and parties, and the famous Whale Crier will be around to give everyone the latest whale watching news.
Probably the best way to see the whales is from a boat. We are in partnership with a few boat operators in areas where you are virtually assured of good viewing such as Hermanus, Plettenberg Bay and St Lucia on the KwaZulu Natal north coast.
Breaching: This is when the whale leaps out of the water and lands on its side or back. This could be for communication, exercise, or to scratch off its parasites.
Blowing: When the whale ‘blows’ air out of its blowhole, causing a spout of condensed water to appear. Often rather noisy, it is the whale’s normal breathing pattern.
Lobtailing: Slapping the tail and flukes on the water, causing a loud sound. It could be a means of communication.
Spy hopping: In order for the whale to see what is happening above them, it will sometimes lift its head and upper body vertically out of the water.
Interesting facts about whales:
- Southern Right Whales were so named because in whale hunting days they were the 'right' whales to harpoon because the bodies floated once they were dead and were high in the prized whale oil.
- They can live for over 60 - 80 years, although this is uncertain as very little is known about them.
- Adult males tend to be around 15m, while females average 16.5m and around 40 - 60 tons
- We’re not sure how many southern right whales are left alive, as they were hunted almost to extinction, but it’s thought that there are around 3000 left.
- The Humpback Whale more often seen along the KwaZulu Natal coast is approximately 15m in length and weighs in the order 30 tons. Usually black on top and white underneath. It also has long, narrow flippers. They perform spectacular 'breaches' - leaping out of the water.
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