The Overberg & Whale Route provides several whale watching spots along its diverse coastline.
Each year, hundreds of Southern Right whales migrate into our coastal waters, visiting the sheltered shallow bays to calve and nurse their young. Through Overberg & Whale Route the whales, mere meters from the shore, provide unsurpassed whale watching opportunities between June and November. Humpback whales migrate through our region between May and December. Bryde’s whales are found slightly further off shore all year round. With interpretive signboards providing visitors with essential information on the whales occurring along the coast.
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Where will we see the whales?
Hermanus is renowned as the heart of the Cape Whale Coast. Acknowledged by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as one of the twelve best whale watching sites in the world, whales can be seen is some places from as close as five metres from its rocky cliffs. The southern right whales start arriving in Walker Bay from June and have usually left again by December. The peak whale season, when sightings are virtually guaranteed every day, is during September and October. The whale population peaks in Walker Bay during October.Hermanus even has ‘the world’s only whale crier’, Wilson Salukazana, who blows a horn made of sea bamboo to tell people that whales are in view. He will answer the questions of every eager tourist. The whales seem to appreciate an audience and provide spectacular entertainment.
For ten days each September and October, Hermanus is transformed as thousands of visitors from all over the country arrive to enjoy the arts and environ-experience of the Whale Festival. The Whale Festival has become on of the major events on the South African cultural calendar.
San Sebastian Bay and De Hoop Nature Reserve is situated on the southernmost region of Africa and is often referred to as “the” whale nursery of South Africa. It has the highest count of southern rights along the coast during the height of the breeding months (August to end October). St Sebastian Bay has the largest concentration of Southern Rights on the South African Coast. The areas designated for boat-based whale watching has been carefully selected so as to not interfere with those observing from the land. Witsand is the only village on the Bay that has the infrastructure to accommodate visitors.
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Accommodation Options
- Where will we see the whales?
Where will we see the whales?
Hermanus is renowned as the heart of the Cape Whale Coast. Acknowledged by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as one of the twelve best whale watching sites in the world, whales can be seen is some places from as close as five metres from its rocky cliffs. The southern right whales start arriving in Walker Bay from June and have usually left again by December. The peak whale season, when sightings are virtually guaranteed every day, is during September and October. The whale population peaks in Walker Bay during October.Hermanus even has ‘the world’s only whale crier’, Wilson Salukazana, who blows a horn made of sea bamboo to tell people that whales are in view. He will answer the questions of every eager tourist. The whales seem to appreciate an audience and provide spectacular entertainment.
For ten days each September and October, Hermanus is transformed as thousands of visitors from all over the country arrive to enjoy the arts and environ-experience of the Whale Festival. The Whale Festival has become on of the major events on the South African cultural calendar.
San Sebastian Bay and De Hoop Nature Reserve is situated on the southernmost region of Africa and is often referred to as “the” whale nursery of South Africa. It has the highest count of southern rights along the coast during the height of the breeding months (August to end October). St Sebastian Bay has the largest concentration of Southern Rights on the South African Coast. The areas designated for boat-based whale watching has been carefully selected so as to not interfere with those observing from the land. Witsand is the only village on the Bay that has the infrastructure to accommodate visitors.
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