One of the best places in the world for whale watching is Hermanus. Hermanus has a stretch of coastline that is part of a marine reserve. This area is the breeding and mating ground for the Southern Right Whale.
You can see the whales all year round, but between July and November is the best time. September, October and November are the months when you are almost guaranteed to see whales.
Ways To See The Whales
You have your choice of seeing the whales from either land, sea or air. There is a 12km path along the cliff which takes you through multiple different watching spots. The whales come as close as 5m away from the shoreline.
There are many different whale watching cruises available. On these boats, you can sail amongst the whales and see them up close. For the more adventurous sea kayaking is a great way to get out on the waves, and to get up close and personal with the whales.
As well as the many different whale watching sea tours, there are seaplanes. You can take in both the scenic views and the majestic whales.
How To Spot Whales
The whales grow up to 15m long. They end up weighing up to 80 tonnes. The unique markings can identify each individual whale. They are as unique as fingerprints. The whales can live to be 100 years old, so if you return to Hermanus you might spot a whale you saw before.
When you are looking for the whales, there are a few signs to keep your eyes open for. When the whales breach and make their unique double blow of air it makes a fine spray of mist. The spray forms an easy to spot V shape. The Whales some times come up to the surface on their sides; this is called logging. They will often slap their tails on the surface of the water making huge splashes. If you spot a whale leaping out of the water, keep watching. They will often do this as many as five times in a row.
