Whale Watching in Hermanus

Hermanus is fast becoming one of the most loved holiday destinations amongst South Africans as well as international visitors. Wedged between mountain and sea offering spectacular views over Walker Bay, Hermanus promises remarkable natural beauty in the heart of the beautiful Cape Whale Coast in the Western Cape.

During the past decade, Hermanus has grown into a vibrant seaside destination complemented by fine restaurants, numerous art galleries, boutiques, shops as well as a multitude of outdoor and adventure activities for the nature enthusiasts.

Apart from its scenic beauty, Hermanus is known as the heart of the whale route and offers the best land-based whale watching in the world; undeniable the towns’ most popular tourist attraction. The Southern Right Whales come to South Africa between May and December to mate and calf and are the most frequently seen in Walker Bay.

These stately creatures are extremely intelligent, graceful and majestic. For eons they have travelled the seas singing their whale songs and danced to the beat of the waves. Mothers form close relationships with their young, who start suckling from birth until about one year of age. As mammals, they are born with a fine sprinkling of hair which through the years mostly disappears.

Whaling started in Norway, some 5000 years ago, with the Southern Right Whales making easy targets by ruthless hunters. These beautiful animals are slow swimmers and float when killed, thus making them the “Right Whale” to hunt. Even though commercial whaling has been banned for more than 20 years, people continue to fire harpoons into these gentle creatures, causing many species to be endangered. The Southern Right Whale is conservation dependent with about 3000 in the sea to date.