Cape Whale Coast (Hermanus)

The Cape Whale Coast in the very tip of South Africa and it runs from coastal village of Rooiels in the West to the Quoin Point in the East. On one side of the Cape Whale Coast you will find beautiful mountains and on the other side the Atlantic Ocean.

Some of the important towns in the Cape Whale Coast that attract tourists are Hermanus, Kleinmond, Gansbaai, and Stanford. Although these towns attract tourists the Cape Whale Coast actually consists of many villages, coves, bays, farms, valleys, and rivers that have more surprises for the descending tourists.

The Cape Whale Coast has everything for the tourists whether it is a romantic holiday, family holiday, weekend getaway, adventure tour, or a quiet relaxing weekend. It has something for every person who is coming to this place. Some of the activities that you can look forward in Cape Whale Coast are whale watching, shark cage diving, horse riding, ancient caves, wine tasting, museums, art galleries, and visiting nature reserves.

The period between June and November is the right time to visit Cape Whale Coast as you can watch the whales during this season. Whales like Southern Right Whale, Bryde’s, and Humpback Whale are noticed in the Cape Whale Coast. These whales sited in the Cape Whale Coast migrate from Antarctica to South Africa during this season for mating and calve. The sheltered bays in the Cape Whale Coast give the right environment for these whales. The meeting place of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean called the Overberg coastline attracts over 37 species of whales and this area has very rich marine life.

The Southern Right Whale swims near the coastline and you can spot them within 200 metres of the coast line. The Humpback whales prefer deep waters and it is difficult to spot them. You can see both the mother and the calf Southern Right Whale during the season between June and November. In some places like De Kelders you can sight these whales very close to as much as 20 metres from the shore line.

Hermanus, one of the important towns in the Cape Whale Coast has its own whale crier. The job of the whale crier is to alert people about the whereabouts of the whales he spots in the ocean. The whale crier wears a black and white whale crier sign around his neck and wears a differently feathered cap. Kelp horn is used to alert people about whales. Different series of horn blows are used to alert the whereabouts of the whales and the number of whales spotted.

From the type of blow you hear you can find out what kind of whale is spotted, whether it is Southern Right Whale, Bryde, or Humpback. You can find the whale criers from 10 am to 4 pm everyday. Hermanus is very famous for whale watching and the best season for whale watching in Hermanus is September. There is a whale festival organized in this town of Hermanus during this season. Thousands of tourists descend to this town during the whale festival.