Every year, thousands of tourists make their way to the beautiful
Cape Peninsula at the tip of South Africa in order to set their sights
on the magnificent Southern Right Whales which can be seen in the Indian
Ocean’s bays of Cape Town and along the Garden Route. Graceful and
gentle, these whales migrate from the icy waters off Antarctica to the
warmer Cape Coast every winter. Gansbaai and
Hermanus offer the best whale watching opportunities, showcasing the
beauty of these massive ocean mammals while enchanting you with their
local seaside, small town, charm.
While the Southern Right Whales can be viewed in False Bay and from
various look out points along the Cape Peninsula, Hermanus is the most
popular whale watching town. This is where the annual whale festival
takes place, the whale crier uses his horn to call out to the whales and
draw in visitors, and where guests can embark along numerous cat walks
along the cliffs of the bay to view the mammals as they give birth, sun
bathe and breach in the warm waters. Depending on the whales’ migration,
they can appear along the Cape coast anytime around June, staying put
until late November.
Coming within two hundred meters of the shoreline and often sighted
as close as twenty meters from the beachfront, the Southern Right Whales
can be viewed in all their glory and grace from the small town of
Gansbaai. This town is famous for offering shark cage diving experiences
– the more adventurous whale watchers can even embark on a shark cage
dive that includes whale watching cruise. The whales arrive in the bay
during optimal shark cage diving conditions and often surprise guests
while appearing during shark cage diving experiences.
Many tourists choose to stay in Gansbaai accommodation for a couple
of nights, maximising their chances of good whale sightings and making
the most of the laid back atmosphere in the seaside towns. With a day or
two to spend with the whales, they can embark on a variety of
activities in order to see them and learn more about them. Boat
charters, trail walks to information and look out points, lunch spots
with beautiful sea views and hikes in the Helderberg are some of the
many ways that people can see the whales.
Whether you decide to take a day trip to Hermanus or stay a night or
two in Gansbaai accommodation, the magnificent Southern Right Whales
will give you a show to remember. It truly is a unique and remarkable
experience to watch the whales give birth, breach out of the water and
blow water and play; making the trip is an incredibly worthwhile
adventure that will not only show you another stunning region of the
Cape but will also be one that shows you a natural spectacle, rare
mammal and one that will remind you of the simplicity of life.
Original Source: Holiday Bug
