The Cape Whale Route

South Africa is one of the best destinations for watching marine mammals. The Cape coastline, where the two mighty oceans of the Indian and Atlantic converge, is an absolute must for nature lovers and especially marine enthusiasts. Annually it attracts between 3000 - 4000 humpback, southern right, brydes and killer whales that come to pay homage to these warm shallow waters. The Cape coast is home to large pods of dolphin, African penguins, Cape fur seals and black oyster – catcher birds.

The Cape whale route starts along the south coast of Cape Town at Lamberts Bay and extends some 600 metres to the Storms River mouth in the Tsitsikamma National Park. The southern right whales migrate from the Antarctic and reach South Africa in June and stay until November. At this time the waters are teeming with these gentle giants – calving and nursing their young.

Getting close to a whale on a 3 hour boat trip is an exhilarating and unforgettable experience. Whales are generally friendly and curious and will often come within 5 metres of the boat. If you have wobbly sea legs then you may prefer to watch the whales from a look – out or cliff top on the where whales can be seen just 20 metres away from you, frolicking in the sheltered bay or just beyond the breakers - entertaining you will their water acrobatics.

False Bay

This large bay is flanked on its eastern side by Cape Town’s southerly suburbs and extends along the western side of the Cape Peninsula to the picturesque naval town of Simons Town. The north side is encompassed by a stretch of sandy beach reaching from Muizenberg around to Strand and Gordon’s Bay on the western end of the bay.

Marine animals you are likely to see:

Southern right whales, humpback dolphin, dusky dolphin.

Whale watching spots:

Good whale watching areas along the watch way between Muizenberg and St James and good viewing points on the coastal Boyes Drive, between Kalk Bay and Lake Side.

Boat based whale watching:

Yes.

Hout Bay

Hout Bay was named after the thick forest that once grew along the mountains south facing slopes. The slopes are now covered in luxury homes and the village below bustles with restaurants and shops.

Marine animals you are likely to see:

Southern right whale, killer whales, heaviside dolphin, humpback dolphins, Cape fur seals.

Whale watching spots:

Best viewing is along the various rest spots along Chapmans Peak road, a meandering cliffside drive – 600 metres above the sea.

Boat based whale watching:

Yes.

Table Bay

Cape Town’s Table Bay with its backdrop of Table Mountain is a favourite place for whales to frolick, along the shoreline from Llandudno round to Bloubergstrand.

Marine animals you are likely to see:

Southern right whales, Cape fur seal, great white sharks.

Whale watching spots:

Vantage points along the winding Victoria Drive between Camps Bay and Llandudno, Sea Point Esplanade, Muille Point Lighthouse and Blouberg Beach.

Boat based whale watching:

Yes.

Hermanus

Hermanus is arguably the best whale watching area in South Africa. Magnificent mountains look over this town which has been built along the shores of Walker bay near the southernmost tip of Africa. Southern right whales can be seen within 10 metres of the shore and they are often spotted calving in the Old Harbour and the rumbling sound from the Whale Criers kelp horn signals to visitors as to where the whales can be spotted.

Marine animals you are likely to see:

Southern right whales, bryde’s whale, common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin.

Whale watching spots:

Gearings point near the Old Harbour, Die Gang situated north east along the main road, Kwaaiwater, Voelklip and Grotto Beach.

Boat based whale watching:

Yes.

Betty’s Bay

Betty’s Bay is situated beneath the rugged Kogelberg Mountains and winds for 5km above a rocky coastline on the ocean drive between Pringle Bay and Kleinmond. During colonial times Betty’s Bay was a popular place for runaway slaves and in 1912 became a formal whaling station running until the 1930’s. The remains of the whaling station can be seen at Stony Point.

Marine animals you are likely to see:

Southern right whales, bottlenose dolphin, jackass penguins.

Whale watching spots:

Stony Point.

Plettenberg Bay

Plettenberg Bay is the most fashionable spot on the Garden Route and has been called the Riviera of Africa. It’s no exaggeration – with fabulous beaches stretching for miles. The local whale watching industry is one of the most organised with boat trips, dolphin watching kayak trips and scenic flights for impressive aerial sightings.

Marine animals you are likely to see:

Bryde’s whales, humpback whales, bottle neck dolphins, Cape fur seals.

Whale watching spots:

Good shore and cliff-based whale viewing sites is Plettenberg Park, Robberg Peninsula in the Robberg Nature Reserve, No 1 Beachy Head Drive, Beacon Island Rocks, Van Plettenberg Monument, Lookout Rocks, The Lookout View site and last, but not least, spectacular viewing along Keurboomstrand beaches and look out points.

Boat based whale watching:

Yes.

Whale behaviour:

Blowing is the spray of water shooting up from their blow holes which occurs when the whale breathes after being submerged under water. The breath reaches out at speeds of 450 kilometres per hour and can reach a height of 5 metres.

A breach or lunge, also known as cresting, is an intentional leap or lunge out of the water when at least 40% of the animal’s body clears the water. They usually breach 3 to 5 times in succession.

A head lunge is when a whale breaks the surface and falls forward instead of backward – 90% of its body clears the water before the whale turns to land on its back or side.

Grunting is a loud, bellowing sound that carries up to 2km away, often heard at night.

Lob tailing is the act of a whale lifting its flukes out of the water and then bringing them down onto the surface of the water hard and fast – making a loud slapping noise. It is most common amongst humpback and southern right whales. Larger whales tend to lob tail by positioning themselves downwards into the water and then slapping the surface by bending the tail stock.

Logging is a behaviour that whales exhibit when at rest – lying without forward movement on the surface of the water with its dorsal fin and parts of its back exposed. It is particularly common behaviour amongst right whales and can make detecting them from a boat quite difficult.

Spy hopping is the act of coming out of the water vertically, and momentarily staying out of the water in a manner that is similar to a humans treading water. This gives them a 360 degree view of the world above and due to their inquisitive nature they do this quite often. The larger more powerful whales can spy hop as much as half of its body out of the water.

Sailing is the most common whale behaviour to be observed. It is when a whale balances its head down with the tail extended above the surface for long periods.