Whale watching hot spots in Cape Town

Whales possess grace and elegance despite their enormous size. They have beauty and majesty although they couldn’t be included among animals with more standard or classic beauty. They come in strange shapes, they make eerie noises and they captivate us completely. Hermanus is a seaside town about an hour and half from Cape Town and is well know for its whale watching opportunities. Every year, between August and November, locals and tourists congregate to enjoy the spectacle of whales frolicking in the waves, a mere 20 metres away.

Southern Right Whales travel from their summer habitat in the sub-Antarctic, to the warm Indian Ocean bays in the Cape, to calf and mate. They can be seen as early as April and May, but the peak viewing season is from August to November.

Whale watching isn’t limited to Hermanus. The little town of Arniston, which is about three hours from Cape Town, also offers excellent whale watching opportunities. Here, visitors can enjoy the whales from the shore, or from approved boat and air-based tours. The Long-finned pilot whale, the pygmy sperm whale, the pigmy right whale, and the Minke whale can also be seen from Arniston.

False Bay is another area that boasts ample numbers of whales for the duration of South Africa’s winter. The bay covers a large area from Cape Town’s southerly suburbs, along the western side of the Cape Peninsula, to Simon’s Town, the Cape’s naval base. In addition to housing the Southern Right Whale, False Bay also plays host to Humpback Whales, Bryde’s Whales, and the occasional Orca.

Whales seem to know when they have an audience and like to perform for their admirers. Acts in their repertoire include blowing, which is the sound they make when they expel used air through their blowholes. This causes condensed water vapour to spout out in a fountain. As spectacular as this looks, it’s merely part of the whale’s breathing cycle.

Breaching is the action that all whale watchers congregate for. It involves the whale leaping out of the water as it arches in a back flip, and then falls back with a loud slap. Scientists believe that whales use breaching as a form of communication, as exercise or as a way of scratching off parasites. Lobtailing is the slapping of the tail and flukes on the water, which causes a great deal of noise. It also appears to be a form of communication. Spy hopping occurs when the whale lifts its head and body vertically out of the water, up to its flippers. This provides it with a good view of what is happening on the surrounding surface.

At 15 – 18 metres long and weighing between fifty and eighty tones, Southern Right Whales are far from being the leviathans of the sea. The crusty growths, called callosities, which occur on their heads don’t help to make them any less alien looking. They are, however, extraordinarily beautiful creatures. They have intelligence and personality that identifies them just as easily as their colouring and growths do. As an Endangered Species, we should appreciate them while we can, and take every opportunity to admire their grace and playfulness. Take up whale watching while you can. It’s an activity well worth your while.

Recommended sites:

http://www.aboutcapetown.com/hermanus.htm

http://www.arniston.co.za/whales.htm

http://www.countryroads.co.za/whale-watching-south-africa.html

http://www.awhaleofatime.co.za/whale-watching.php

http://www.whaleroute.com/areas/southafrica/index.htm