Whale Watching in Hermanus

Hermanus is known as the land based whale capital of the world, you can see whales frolicking from the winding coastline,  observe from the benches along the cliff paths.

The Southern Right Whale is a baleen whale, which means that instead of teeth it has long plates hanging from the top jaw. These baleens work like a sieve when the whale feeds. The Southern Right Whale was so named during the time when they were still hunted. They were referred to as the "right" whales to kill because they would float when dead – which made it easy for the whalers to find them in the ocean and transport them back to the whaling station. These whales have a large amount of oil (also called blubber) and baleen.

Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis) - identification

• Southern Right Whales are easily identified by the double or V-shaped blow,
• callosity patterns on the head region and the lack of dorsal fin.
• Southern Right whales are usually totally black in colour, although white patches can occur on the back and often on the belly.
• Their length is between 12.5 m -15.5 m, weighing between 30 - 60 tonnes

The Southern Right Whales start arriving in Walker Bay from June and have usually left again by December. Peak Whale season, when sightings are virtually guaranteed on a daily basis, is during September and October. Calving season is in August and September and the Whale population peaks in Walker Bay during October.