Whale Watching in Hermanus
Hermanus is one of South Africa’s best-known whale-watching destinations, particularly for southern right whales. The town sits on Walker Bay, where whales come close to the coastline during their annual migration.
Southern right whales migrate to the waters around the Western Cape during the southern hemisphere winter and spring. They come to the area to mate, give birth and nurse their calves before returning to their feeding grounds further south.
The main whale-watching season in Hermanus is generally from August to late November, although the timing and number of whales can vary from year to year.
Whale Watching From Land
Hermanus has excellent opportunities for watching whales from the shore. The Hermanus Cliff Path follows the coastline for approximately 12 kilometres, with numerous viewpoints overlooking Walker Bay.
During the whale season, southern right whales can often be seen from the path. Depending on where the whales are, you may see them surfacing, swimming, resting, breaching or raising their tails above the water.
One of the advantages of land-based whale watching is that it is simple and accessible. You can walk along the coastline, stop at one of the viewpoints and spend as long as you like watching the bay. No boat trip or booking is required.
Hermanus is also home to the famous Whale Crier, who traditionally uses a kelp horn to announce whale sightings during the season.
Whale Watching From the Sea
Sea-based whale watching provides a completely different view of the Whales.
Licensed operators take visitors onto Walker Bay in boats specifically used for whale watching. From the water, passengers can observe whales at sea level and see them moving through the bay rather than viewing them from above the coastline.
Southern right whales are the principal species associated with Hermanus, although other marine animals can also be encountered.
For visitors interested in marine wildlife, a boat trip also provides a better understanding of the environment in which the whales spend their time. You are no longer simply looking out over the ocean from the shore; you are actually on the water where the whales live.
Visiting Hermanus
The combination of accessible land-based viewing and organised boat trips makes Hermanus unusual among whale-watching destinations.
You can walk the cliff path and watch the bay from several different viewpoints, or take to the water for a closer look at the marine environment. Both offer a different way of experiencing the southern right whales that visit Walker Bay each year.
We visit hermanus all year round becuase Hermanus is brilliant even if you don’t see the Whales, however if youre visiting South Africa in winter, then Whale Watching is a massive bonus!
