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| | | | |  Whales at Hermanus are a marvel to watch | | | | |
Leaving behind their icy feeding grounds off Antarctica, the Southern Rights head for warmer climates to mate and calve. With their arrival in winter and early spring, the southern Cape coast is completely awash with whales. The Southern Rights are everywhere, providing whale-watchers with spectacular displays of raw power as well as elegant water acrobatics.
So named because these beauties were once considered the 'right' whale to hunt (because they were slow, carcasses floated and yield was great) Southern Rights have been protected by law since 1935. Now these gentle creatures of the deep draw excited crowds to marvel at their displays. Weighing in at around 60 tons, Southern Rights often come close to the shoreline, sometimes appearing just a few metres from land.
The best places to Whale Watch:
- Hermanus, overlooking Walker Bay on the Cape south coast, is considered to boast the best land-based whale-watching in the world. Plettenberg Bay, Algoa Bay and the Wild Coast are additional options. Although Southern Rights are the pride of the region, there are also humpbacks, Bryde's whales and orcas.
- The best time to see Southern Rights is from June to November when they are resident along the Cape south coast, although some have already been seen as far north as KwaZulu-Natal. Peak calving season is July and August, but whales can be seen aplenty through September and October as well.
- Heralding the arrival of the whales in Walker Bay is the world's only whale-crier. During whale-watching season, he has a full-time job patrolling the streets of Hermanus and blowing his kelp horn to alert enthusiasts to the presence of whales in the bay.
- Although Hermanus is famous as great whale-watching territory, excellent sightings of Southern Rights and other species are enjoyed all the way from Strandfontein, on the West Coast, to Lambert's Bay, Elands Bay, St Helena, Saldanha and Ysterfontein, just north of Cape Town.
- However, great sightings can also be enjoyed all around the Cape Peninsula and along the south coast to Cape Agulhas. This southernmost tip of Africa is a particularly rewarding spot for seeing southern right cows and calves at play - up to 50 pairs at a time. The enchanting town of Arniston, and along the coast to Cape Infanta, is also well known for its whale sightings.
- The Garden Route from Stilbaai through Mossel Bay and on to George, Wilderness, Knysna and Tsitsikamma is a magnificent stretch of coastline hosting Southern Rights in their season, humpbacks between May and December and Bryde's whales all year round. Even killer whales are occasionally spotted.
- From Cape St Francis to the rugged Wild Coast are numerous great vantage points to see humpbacks, Bryde's, minke and killer whales and quite often southern rights, especially in Algoa Bay, while sperm and beaked whales approach close to shore off Port St Johns. Notably, humpbacks are spotted almost daily during their northward migration from May to July and again on their return journey from November to January, occasionally being spotted as far north as Cape Vidal.
Whale watching tips:
- Clear, windless conditions are the best for whale-spotting.
- For shore-based viewing take along a pair of binoculars, a hat, sunscreen and patience.
- Look out for the whale's blow, as it's usually the first definite sign of its presence.
- Southern right whales don't have a dorsal fin and have callosities, or patches of thickened skin, on their heads, which make them distinct from other whale types.
- If you are whale-viewing by boat (as 50 000 people do annually), ensure that the company is Government accredited to watch whales close up, that they have the requisite boat permits and insurances and that the skipper has the required certification and Government whale-watching permit. Keep quiet while aboard and follow instructions at all times.
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