South Africa is one of the best destinations in the world for whale watching and the winter months provide the perfect opportunity to spot Southern Right Whales, as they migrate from Antarctica to mate and rear their calves in the warmer climates of South Africa from June until November.
TV presenter and whale expert Mark Carwardine, has teamed up with leading optic specialists SWAROVSKI OPTIK, to share these top tips on the best places to whale watch this season and what viewers can expect to see with IDEAL. Enjoy.
Head to the whale capital of South Africa
Whales can be spotted from the West Coast of South Africa, around the Cape Peninsula, all the way to the Mozambique border and even from Cape Town itself. However, perhaps the most famous hotspot is Hermanus which holds a Whales Watching Festival every September and even has an official Whale Crier alerting shore-based watchers to the whereabouts of whales by blowing a coded message on a horn made of kelp.
Whale watching from the comfort of your hotel room
Southern Right Whales can be seen playing, courting and nursing their newborn calves sometime just a few metres from shore so try watching them from the comfort of your hotel bed. Just check-in to a hotel overlooking the sea (such as The Marine, one of South Africa’s most spectacular seaside hotels, or the more affordable The Windsor), push the bed up against the window, order a drink of choice, grab your binoculars and watch whales cavorting in the bay below.
Drive along the world-famous Whale Route
A meandering scenic road along the South African coastline dotted with whale viewing sites.
Spotting Southern Right Whales
Look for an enormous, rounded, jet-black back (unlike most other whales it doesn’t have a dorsal fin) and a distinctive head covered in callosities which acts like a fingerprint and are used by scientists to tell one whale from another. It also has a tall and unique V-shaped blow or spout.
What to Pack
Ensure to take a good camera, hat, sun cream and of course a good quality pair of binoculars such as SWAROVSKI OPTIK’s EL 32 ensuring a crystal-clear and outstanding field of view.
Surface Activity
Southern Right Whales are very active at the surface and it’s quite common to see them breaching (leaping into the air and falling back into the water with a huge splash) and lobtailing (slapping the surface of the sea with their tails).
Other Wildlife to Spot
Don’t forget to keep an eye out for other species, such as humpbacks, Bryde’s whales, surfing bottlenose dolphins and, on the west coast, rare and exceptionally beautiful Heaviside’s dolphins, as well as a host of other wildlife from African penguins to Cape fur seals.
