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Hermanus
The main Southern Right Whale season in Hermanus generally runs from June through November, sometimes continuing into early December, with peak Southern Right Whale activity typically during September and October. There is no guaranteed best time of day to go whale watching, as every trip offers a different experience depending on whale movements, weather and sea conditions.
There is no fixed best time of day for whale watching in Hermanus. Morning and afternoon trips can both produce excellent sightings, and each trip is different because whale activity, sea conditions and weather can change throughout the day.
Visitors entering the New Harbour should note that a small harbour entry fee may be payable at the harbour gate. This fee is payable separately by the guest, is not included in the boat fare, is controlled by the harbour authorities and is subject to change. There is generally ample parking available within the New Harbour. Parking is at the visitor's own risk, although the area is generally considered safe during normal operating hours.
A standard Hermanus whale watching trip lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours on the water. This gives the skipper enough time to find whales, stay with them respectfully and reach the prime viewing zones across Walker Bay. Total time at the harbour, including the safety briefing and disembarking, is usually around three hours.
Whale watching in Hermanus costs R1,500 per adult, R1,400 for pensioners and students, R750 for children aged 3–12 and is free for children under three. Prices include the boat trip, life jackets and a qualified marine guide. Any harbour entry fee is payable separately by the guest and is not included in the boat fare. Group, family and special-season rates are available on request through our booking team.
Hermanus is widely recognised as one of the top three land-based whale watching destinations on earth. Walker Bay's deep, sheltered waters bring Southern Right Whales extremely close to shore, sometimes within five metres of the cliffs. The town also has the world's only Whale Crier, who blows a kelp horn whenever whales are spotted.
Yes, Hermanus is famous for excellent land-based whale watching from the 12 km Cliff Path. From June to December you can often see Southern Right Whales breaching, lobtailing and nursing calves close to the rocks. Gearing's Point, Sievers Point and the Old Harbour are the most reliable viewing spots.
The Hermanus Whale Festival is an annual event held in late September or early October, celebrating the peak of whale season. It features live music, food and craft stalls, environmental education, an arts programme and family entertainment along the Cliff Path. The town can get busy, so book your whale watching trip and accommodation well in advance.
Hermanus is a coastal town in the Western Cape of South Africa, about 120 km southeast of Cape Town. It sits on the northern shore of Walker Bay, between the Kogelberg mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The town is famous for whale watching, wine farms in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and the 12 km Cliff Path along the coast.
Gansbaai
Gansbaai is one of South Africa's most diverse marine wildlife destinations and is famous for the Marine Big 5 experience. Visitors may encounter Southern Right Whales, Humpback Whales, Cape Fur Seals, African Penguins, dolphins and a variety of shark species in the rich waters surrounding Dyer Island and Geyser Rock.
Southern Right Whales are the most commonly encountered whale species during the winter and spring months, with many whales using the sheltered waters of Walker Bay and the Gansbaai coastline for calving, nursing and socialising.
Gansbaai is also an excellent location to observe migrating Humpback Whales. These powerful ocean travellers move along the South African coastline during their annual migration between Antarctic feeding grounds and warmer tropical breeding areas. Humpback Whales are known for their spectacular surface behaviour, including breaching, tail slapping and pectoral fin displays.
Humpback Whale viewing opportunities are typically associated with migration periods:
- May to June
- November to January
Peak offshore migration activity may often be experienced between July and October as whales move along the coastline.
As whales are wild marine mammals, sightings can never be guaranteed and may vary depending on weather, sea conditions and whale movements.
Historically, Gansbaai was internationally renowned for Great White Shark sightings. However, Great White Sharks have become far less common in recent years due to a combination of environmental changes, shifting prey distribution, fishing pressure and the well-documented presence of the Orcas known as Port and Starboard along parts of the South African coastline.
Despite the decline in Great White Shark sightings, shark cage diving remains one of Gansbaai's most popular marine wildlife experiences. Visitors now frequently encounter Bronze Whaler Sharks (Copper Sharks), which can provide exciting and memorable shark cage diving encounters.
Whale watching trips depart from Kleinbaai Harbour and explore the marine-rich waters around Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, one of South Africa's most important marine ecosystems and a globally recognised hotspot for marine wildlife.
Interested in shark cage diving in Gansbaai? Shark Cage Diving Gansbaai
Gansbaai is best known for Southern Right Whales during the winter and spring whale season. Visitors may also encounter migrating Humpback Whales at certain times of the year. Whale sightings vary depending on season, weather, sea conditions and whale movements.
Humpback Whales migrate past the Gansbaai coastline during their annual journey along the South African coast. Seasonal viewing opportunities are typically associated with May to June and November to January, while peak migration activity offshore may often occur between July and October.
Whale season in Gansbaai runs from June to December, with the highest concentration of Southern Right Whales between August and November. Humpback Whales pass through on migration in winter and again in late summer. Because trips combine whales with sharks, seals and penguins, Gansbaai offers good marine wildlife viewing all year round.
Gansbaai is about 40 km from Hermanus along the R43, roughly a 35 to 40 minute drive. Many visitors stay in Hermanus and do a Gansbaai Marine Big 5 trip as a day excursion. The coastal road passes Stanford and the Klein River lagoon, both popular stops for lunch or birdwatching on the way.
Cape Town
Yes, you can go whale watching from Cape Town in several ways. False Bay tours depart from Simon's Town and Hout Bay, while the most reliable trips are full-day excursions to Hermanus or Gansbaai with hotel pickups in Cape Town. Whales appear in False Bay between June and November, with Southern Rights and Humpbacks the most common.
The drive from Cape Town to Hermanus takes about 1 hour 30 minutes via the N2 and R43, a distance of roughly 120 km. The scenic R44 coastal route through Gordon's Bay and Betty's Bay takes around 2 hours and is one of the most beautiful coastal drives in the country, with regular whale sightings in season.
Yes. We offer private return transfers for guests travelling from Cape Town City Centre to Hermanus for boat-based whale watching. We collect you from your Cape Town City Centre accommodation and take you directly to Hermanus New Harbour. After your boat-based whale-watching trip is completed, your private transfer returns you to Cape Town. Private Cape Town to Hermanus transfers start from R3,700 for 1–2 guests. The transfer is transport only and does not include sightseeing stops, lunch stops, Cliff Path stops, free sightseeing time in Hermanus or guided Hermanus sightseeing. Guests wanting a more complete guided experience with additional time and stops should book our Private Hermanus Whale Watching Day Tour.
Yes. Our private Cape Town → Hermanus transfer collects you from your Cape Town City Centre accommodation and takes you directly to Hermanus New Harbour, returning you to Cape Town once your boat-based whale-watching trip is completed. Transfers start from R3,700 for 1–2 guests. Pickups outside the Cape Town City Centre area are quoted on request. If you would prefer a guided day with additional stops and time in Hermanus, book our Private Hermanus Whale Watching Day Tour instead.
Mossel Bay
Mossel Bay offers excellent year-round marine tours, with whale watching from late June to early December. Southern Right Whales, Humpback Whales and Bryde's Whales are seen in the bay, along with bottlenose dolphins, Cape fur seals at Seal Island and the occasional great white shark. Trips depart from the Mossel Bay harbour near the Bavarian Castle.
Mossel Bay is one of the few South African destinations where you can see Bryde's Whales year round, alongside Southern Right Whales and Humpback Whales in winter and spring. Humpbacks often breach and tail-slap on migration, while Bryde's Whales feed on sardine and pilchard shoals just outside the bay throughout the year.
Knysna
Yes, Knysna offers boat-based whale watching trips that depart from Thesen Island, just inside the famous Knysna Heads. Humpback Whales are the main attraction, seen on their northbound migration from June to August and again from October to early January as they head south. Southern Right Whales are most reliable from July through October.
Humpback Whale season in Knysna runs from June through to early January. The northbound peak migration is between June and August, when whales travel toward Mozambique to breed. The southbound peak is from October to early January, when mothers and calves head back to Antarctic feeding grounds and often pass close to the Knysna Heads.
Knysna whale watching trips depart from Thesen Island, inside the Knysna Lagoon. Guests check in at the harbour office on the island, board a licensed permit boat and head out through the dramatic Knysna Heads into the open ocean. The trip itself lasts about 2 hours and is weather and sea condition dependent.
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay is one of the best whale watching destinations on South Africa's Garden Route. The sheltered bay attracts Humpback Whales, Southern Right Whales and Bryde's Whales, along with hundreds of resident bottlenose and common dolphins. Trips depart from Central Beach and include the Robberg Peninsula, a Cape fur seal colony and dramatic cliff scenery.
Humpback Whales are seen in Plettenberg Bay from June to early January. The clearest sightings are during the northbound migration in June and July and the southbound return between October and December. Humpbacks often breach and tail-slap close to the boats. Bryde's Whales are present year round, feeding on sardines and anchovy.
Southern Right Whales
Southern Right Whales are large baleen whales that grow up to 17 metres long and weigh up to 80 tonnes. They are easily recognised by their broad black bodies, V-shaped blow and the white callosities on their heads, which are unique to each whale. Every winter they migrate from Antarctica to the South African coast to calve.
Southern Right Whales were named by 19th-century whalers, who called them the right whales to hunt. They were slow, swam close to shore, contained large amounts of valuable oil and baleen, and floated when killed, making recovery easy. Hunting almost drove them to extinction, but protection since 1935 has allowed a slow but steady recovery.
Southern Right Whale season in South Africa runs from June through to December, with peak activity typically during September and October. During this time, mothers nurse newborn calves in sheltered bays like Walker Bay, False Bay and St Sebastian Bay. Pairs of courting whales can often be seen rolling at the surface together.
Southern Right Whales regularly come within 10 to 50 metres of the shore in places like Hermanus, De Kelders and Witsand. They prefer shallow, sheltered water for calving and resting, which is why the Western Cape's bays are so famous. From the Hermanus Cliff Path you can sometimes hear their blows clearly from the rocks.
A Southern Right Whale has no dorsal fin, a strongly arched mouth and rough white patches of skin called callosities on its head, jaw and around the blowholes. The callosities are colonised by tiny crustaceans called whale lice, which make them appear white or yellow. Each whale's callosity pattern is unique, like a fingerprint.
Around 6,000 to 7,000 Southern Right Whales make up the South African breeding population. Several hundred individual whales are counted each year along the Cape coast, with the highest concentrations between Cape Agulhas, Walker Bay and False Bay. Numbers can vary year to year depending on Antarctic food availability and breeding cycles.
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales are seen along South Africa's coast from May to early January. The northbound migration toward warm Mozambican breeding grounds peaks between May and August. The southbound return, when mothers travel with new calves back to Antarctic feeding grounds, runs from October through to early January and often produces the most active surface behaviour.
Humpback Whales have a small dorsal fin, very long white pectoral flippers and an iconic tail fluke shown when diving. Southern Right Whales have no dorsal fin, broad short flippers and white callosities on the head. Humpbacks are migratory and acrobatic; Southern Rights are quieter, larger-bodied and tend to stay close to shore.
Yes, Humpback Whales are famous for breaching, where they launch most of their body out of the water and crash down in a huge splash. They also slap their long pectoral fins and tails on the surface. Scientists believe these behaviours are used for communication, parasite removal, courtship displays and possibly play, especially among young whales.
Walker Bay
Walker Bay is the sheltered bay stretching between Hermanus and De Kelders on South Africa's southern Cape coast. It is one of the most important Southern Right Whale calving grounds in the world. The deep, calm water and rocky shoreline make it ideal for both mothers with calves and for boat-based and land-based whale watching.
Walker Bay is home to Southern Right Whales, Humpback Whales, Bryde's Whales, bottlenose and common dolphins, Cape fur seals, African penguins and a wide variety of seabirds. The bay also has kelp forests, reef fish and the occasional great white shark. Its biodiversity is protected by the Walker Bay Whale Sanctuary, declared in 2000.
Yes, Walker Bay is a declared whale sanctuary, with strict rules limiting boat approach distances and the number of licensed operators. Only permit-holding boats may approach whales within 300 metres, and they may never block a whale's path. These rules ensure mothers and calves can rest, nurse and socialise without disturbance throughout the season.
Whale Watching Flights
Whale watching flights are scenic helicopter or fixed-wing trips that take off from Hermanus or Stanford airfield and fly low over Walker Bay. From the air you can spot pods of whales, dolphins and seals, see the full sweep of the coastline and often photograph behaviours that are hidden from the boats, like full-body breaches or surface-active groups.
Most scenic whale watching flights last 20 to 40 minutes in the air, depending on the package and aircraft. A standard helicopter flight over Walker Bay is around 20 minutes, while longer routes extend along the Cliff Path, Klein River lagoon and De Kelders. Flights operate from June through to early December, weather permitting.
Both are excellent. A boat trip puts you at eye level with the whales and is more intimate, while a flight gives you a sweeping aerial perspective and the chance to spot dozens of whales in one view. Many visitors do both: a boat trip one morning and a scenic flight on another day for a complete experience.
South Africa
Hermanus is regarded as South Africa's best whale watching destination thanks to its sheltered Walker Bay, close-to-shore sightings and dedicated Whale Sanctuary. Gansbaai, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, Knysna and False Bay near Cape Town are also outstanding. Each destination offers a slightly different mix of species, scenery and on-water experiences.
Whale season in South Africa runs from June through to December, with peak Southern Right Whale activity typically during September and October. Southern Right Whales arrive first, followed by Humpback Whales on their long migration toward and from Mozambique. Bryde's Whales are present in many bays year round, especially in Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay.
The most commonly seen whales in South Africa are Southern Right Whales, Humpback Whales and Bryde's Whales. Orcas, sperm whales, minke whales and pilot whales are also recorded offshore, though sightings are rarer. Dolphins, including bottlenose, common and Heaviside's dolphins, are seen on most trips alongside Cape fur seals and seabirds.
Several thousand whales visit the South African coast each year. The Southern Right Whale population that breeds here is around 6,000 to 7,000 individuals. Humpback Whale numbers passing the coast on migration are estimated in the tens of thousands. Numbers continue to recover steadily after the global whaling ban came into effect in 1986.
Planning
Yes, advance booking is strongly recommended, especially during peak Southern Right Whale activity in September and October and over school holidays. Trips can sell out days ahead. You can book online, by WhatsApp or by phone. A deposit secures your seat and we will confirm departure time the day before.
Wear warm, windproof layers even in summer, as it is much cooler at sea than on shore. Bring a waterproof jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat with a strap and closed shoes with good grip. In winter, add a beanie and gloves. Avoid loose scarves or hats that can blow off in the wind.
Most guests are comfortable, as Walker Bay is usually calm and trips stay relatively close to shore. If you are prone to motion sickness, take a tablet 30 to 60 minutes before departure, eat a light meal, avoid alcohol the night before and focus on the horizon. Tell the skipper if you start to feel unwell.
Safety always comes first. If conditions are unsafe, the skipper will postpone or cancel the trip and we will offer the next available slot or a full refund. You can also switch to our Hermanus Cliff Path walking tour for the day. Travel insurance is recommended for guests on tight itineraries.
Yes, whale watching trips are family friendly and suitable for all ages. Children under three travel free, and life jackets are provided in all sizes. The boats are stable catamarans with seating and shelter. Children love seeing whales, dolphins and seals up close and our guides explain what is happening in a fun, age-appropriate way.
Boarding arrangements may vary depending on the vessel, tide, weather and sea conditions. Guests with mobility concerns are encouraged to discuss their requirements when making an enquiry so we can advise on the most suitable vessel and arrangements. The Hermanus Cliff Path also has several accessible viewing decks for land-based whale watching.
Behaviour
Whales breach for several possible reasons, including communication over long distances, dislodging parasites, courtship displays, play and even possibly to scan the surface. Humpbacks are the most acrobatic, but Southern Right Whales also breach, sometimes more than 50 times in a row. A full breach is one of the most spectacular sights in nature.
Sailing is a behaviour unique to Southern Right Whales, where a whale lifts its broad tail flukes vertically out of the water and lets the wind catch them like a sail. The whale may stay in this position for several minutes, drifting along. Scientists believe it could be a form of play or thermoregulation in calm conditions.
Southern Right Whales spend roughly three to four months in South African waters, from June to December, before returning to Antarctic feeding grounds. Humpback Whales pass through more quickly on migration but can be seen for over six months in total, between the northbound and southbound legs. Bryde's Whales are present year round.
Yes, whales sleep, but only one half of the brain rests at a time so they can keep breathing and watch for danger. They often rest just below the surface, breathing slowly every few minutes. Mothers with newborn calves rest in sheltered bays like Walker Bay, which is one reason Hermanus is so important to the species.
Newborn Southern Right Whale calves are around 4.5 to 6 metres long at birth and weigh roughly 1 tonne. They drink up to 600 litres of rich milk a day from their mothers and can gain as much as 50 kg every 24 hours. Calves stay close to their mothers for about a year before becoming independent.
Hermanus vs Gansbaai
Hermanus is best for Southern Right Whale viewing and land-based whale watching, with a calm sheltered bay and easy walks along the Cliff Path. Gansbaai is best for combined Marine Big 5 trips that include sharks, seals and penguins around Dyer Island. Many visitors do both for a complete picture of the Cape coast.
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- Whale Watching Cape Town
- Whale Watching Mossel Bay
- Whale Watching Knysna
- Whale Watching Plettenberg Bay
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- Yzerfontein Humpback Expedition
- Southern Right Whales South Africa
- Whale Watching Season SA
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- Walker Bay Whale Guide
Ready for a Whale of a Day?
Secure your spot on a boat-based whale watching tour in Hermanus. Daily departures, June – December.