A more beautiful and breathtaking sight than whale watching in South Africa is nearly impossible to find, and once a tourist sees these creatures breaching the surface of a clear blue ocean, they cannot help but agree.
In early June, southern right whales leave their Antarctic feeding ground to frolic in the warmer waters of the Weatern Cape coast. Here they mate amd calve, occasionally flopping a tail up, or sticking their heads out of the water, much to the delight of all the locals and tourists. They are a truly a marvel to behold.
The majority of whale watching in South Africa is done from June to November, although it is not entirely uncommon for whales to be seen outside of this time period. They occupy some of the most beautiful stretches of our coastline, and can be viewed from Lamberts Bay on the Cape West Coast, the Cape Peninsula, False Bay, Hermanus, Arniston, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
Hermanus is one of the finer places in South Africa for whale watching. It is home to the Southern Right Whale. Whether it is the calm waters or their well-documented curiosity that brings them closer in, whales often come very close to the shore, sometimes stopping just short of the land.
The capital of whale watching in South Africa is Plettenberg Bay, where Southern Right whales can be seen all seasonn and just when they leave, Himpback whales arrive with their newly born calves, and stay until the end of December or even early January. The whale and dolphin watching industry in Plettenberg Bay is said to be the most organised in the whole of South Africa. Viewing, distances and time spent with each animal are strictly monitored so that there is minimal interference.