It’s that time of year again… whale season! Every year, these gentle giants flock to our shores to calve and mate, and inevitably, every year, thousands of visitors come out to look at them.

It’s not hard to see why. No matter how many whales you’ve seen, spotting another will always give you a thrill. And the whales have astonishingly good taste too, picking some of the most beautiful stretches of coast for their activities, making the prospect of a whale-watching trip all the more inviting. Guess when you spend most of your year in Antarctica you feel the need of a summer holiday more than most.

South Africa’s Whale Route stretches from Doringbaai, south of Cape Town, all the way along the coast to Durban. That’s nearly 2000km of whale-watching coast, and includes several sections famous for their beauty, such as the Garden Route, Tsitsikamma National Park, and the Transkei.

Some 37 species of whales and dolphins are found in South African waters, but the most common are the southern right whales (in spring), which are frequently encrusted with white barnacles, and humpback whales. Bryde’s and orcas are also seen occasionally, while bottlenose and humpback dolphins are in abundance, especially in the warmer waters around KwaZulu-Natal. Most of the excitement tends to be around the southern right whales, as they’re a very vulnerable species.

The best viewing spots

Popular viewing spots include Lamberts Bay on the Cape West Coast, the Cape Peninsula, False Bay, the area around Hermanus as well as the town itself, and seaside resorts such as Arniston, Mossel Bay, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.

Hermanus, of course, puts on its Whale Festival every year in late September. It's nine days filled with music, theatre, sport and parties, and the famous Whale Crier will be around to give everyone the latest whale watching news.

But if you’d prefer to be away from the crowds, virtually anywhere along the West Coast offers a good chance of seeing whales. You could visit one of the many coastal nature reserves, such as the De Hoop Nature Reserve near Bredasdorp. One Cape Nature Conservation source reckoned De Hoop was the best whale-watching site all along the coast, with fifty whales being spotted in the bay on one memorable occasion.

Probably the best way to see the whales is from a boat, but be sure to go with a licensed operator. Boats are not allowed within 300m of the whales, for fear of disturbing them, and only a few licenses have been granted for boat-based whale-watching. On the other hand, whales are often seen very close to the shore, so don't feel you're missing out by staying on dry land.

A word about whale behaviour

Whales come to our coast to calve and to mate, with the courtship season following the birthing season. The “whale season” is from June to November, although whales have been spotted outside this period, while dolphins can be seen all year round. Southern right whales spend most of the year in the Antarctic regions, feeding on plankton.

Humpback whales are about the same size as southern right whales (around 15m), and are often seen off our coast between July and November as they move between Mozambique to calve and breed, and Antarctica, where they feed.

Breaching: This is when the whale leaps out of the water and lands on its side or back. This could be for communication, exercise, or to scratch off its parasites.

Blowing: When the whale ‘blows’ air out of its blowhole, causing a spout of condensed water to appear. Often rather noisy, it is the whale’s normal breathing pattern.

Lobtailing: Slapping the tail and flukes on the water, causing a loud sound. It could be a means of communication.

Spy hopping: In order for the whale to see what is happening above them, it will sometimes lift its head and upper body vertically out of the water.

Interesting facts about southern right whales:

  • Southern right whales were so named because in whale hunting days they were the 'right' whales to harpoon because the bodies floated once they were dead and were high in the prized whale oil.
  • They can live for over 60 years, although this is uncertain as very little is known about them.
  • Adult males tend to be around 15m, while females average 16.5m
  • We’re not sure how many southern right whales are left alive, as they were hunted almost to extinction, but it’s thought that there are around 3000 left.