Hermanus whales Archives - Southern Right Charters

The Welcome Whales Celebration

Posted on May 17, 2021February 27, 2023 by Robin Appleby

Come and join in the festivities at the first Welcome Whales Celebration taking place this June.

The event is hosted by a collaboration of whale-fanatics, guru’s, scientists, and locals that have teamed up to showcase the areas diverse marine life, honour the whales and celebrate the Ocean.

The three-day event will be held in the New Harbour from 6 – 8 June 2021 and each day will be dedicated to one of the three whale species that visit Walker Bay annually – the Southern Right, the Brydes and the Humpback whale.

Coinciding with World Ocean Day 2021, the worldwide movement for a sustainable society and a healthy blue planet. This year’s theme of ‘One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together’ will be at the core of the celebration.

An array of activities and festivities featuring: informative talks & visual presentations; interactive displays, ‘adopt’ a whale, photographic marine walks, whale watching, abalone tours and tasting, kayaking, seafood and crafts will take place daily.

See the full programme below:

SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE DAY ~ 6th June 2021

Day 1 is devoted to the Southern Right Whale! Hermanus is lucky enough to host the bulk of these majestic mammals that migrate to the South African coastline annually from roughly June to December.

9h00 – 11h30 | ACTIVITY | Whale watching Boat tour
Explore the Hermanus coastline and possibly spot the first Southern Right Whales of the season!
Hosted by Southern Right Charters

12h00 – 14h00 | ACTIVITY | Meet & Greet
‘Appointment ceremony’ of the new Hermanus Whale Crier, Interactive displays, Craft & Exhibit, Food & Drinks
Hosted by Various, Lower Quay, New Harbour

13h00 – 14h00 | KIDS ACTIVITY | Fun Pollution Awareness Art Class – “Create your own art piece” from Beach Plastic
**Ages 7-11 years
Presented by Janet Ormond – Environmental Artist, CURB Beach Plastic

14h00 – 15h00 | TALK | A Photographic Journey with Southern Right Whales – Inspirational presentation showcasing over a decade of whale photography.
Presented by Dave De Beer, Hermanus Whales

15h30- 16h30 | TALK | South Africa’s southern right whales – Fascinating facts based on over 40 years of research and annual studies of the whales in Walker Bay and beyond
Presented by Dr Els Vermeulen, Mammal Research Institute – Whale Unit

BRYDES WHALE DAY ~ 7th June 2021

Day 2 will showcase on the Brydes whale, the lesser known, often seen & practically resident whale of Hermanus, which is easily distinguished by their sharp dorsal fin.

9h00 – 11h00 | ACTIVITY | Sea Kayaking – Paddle across Walker Bay and come face-to-face with the diverse marine life of Hermanus.
Hosted by Walkerbay Adventures

9h30 – 11h30 | ACTIVITY | Photographic Marine Walk – Pack your camera for this guided walking tour of the Hermanus coastline.
Hosted by Southern Right Charters

11h00 – 13h00 | ACTIVITY | Abalone Tour & Tasting – Boot-up & explore a working Abalone farm, informative guided tour and tasting experience.
Hosted by Heart of Abalone

15h30 – 16h30 | TALK | The secret whale of Hermanus – A Skippers Log: Interesting visual presentation and introduction to the lesser known, often seen & practically resident whale of Hermanus.
Presented by Ashley Appleby, Southern Right Charters

17h00 – 18h00 | TALK | Brydes Whale Conservation Programme – An in-depth presentation on the inshore population of Bryde’s whales in South Africa
Presented by Dr Els Vermeulen, Mammal Research Institute – Whale Unit

HUMPBACK WHALE DAY ~ 8th June 2021

Day 3 is all about the Humpback whale! This event marks the inclusion of Hermanus in the Humpback Migration Route which is coordinated by Baywatch Projects and is supported by the World Cetacean Alliance. The route spans the coast from Swakopmund all the way to Watuma, Kenya.

9h00 – 11h30 | ACTIVITY | Whale watching Boat tour – Experience boat-based whale watching from Hermanus, South Africa’s Whale Capital.
Hosted by Southern Right Charters

11h00 – 13h00 | ACTIVITY | Abalone Tour & Tasting – Boot-up & explore a working Abalone farm, informative guided tour and tasting experience.
Hosted by Heart of Abalone

14h30 – 15h30| TALK | Whale Disentanglement – A first-hand account.
Hosted by National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Station 17

16h00 -16h30| ACTIVITY | WELCOME WHALES WAVE, a fun cliff-top event –
Welcoming the Whales with a big Wave (‘human chain’) on the Hermanus Cliff Path between the Amphitheatre and Gearing’s Point
Hosted by Hermanus Tourism

16h00 – 17h00 | TALK | The Humpback ‘Supergroups’ – which visit the coastal area of Cape each year.
Presented by Dr Elisa Seyboth, Cape Peninsula University of Technology

17h30 – 18h30 | TALK | The Southern Hemisphere Humpback Migration – the remarkable recovery of this species.
Presented by Lloyd Edwards, Baywatch Research Project & World Cetacean Alliance

Free admission for talks and special rates for activities. All events (paid & free) require a valid ticket for admission, to book, visit: Welcome Whales Celebration- https://qkt.io/welcomewhales or WhatsApp +27823530550

Hermanus Whale Season: When, why & what are southern right whales up to?

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Robin Appleby

Hermanus on the south coast of South Africa is one of the best whale-watching destinations in the world. From June to December every year, southern right whales congregate here to deliver one of nature’s most remarkable spectacles. Hermanus’ shallow, sandy coves and warmer, calmer waters provide whales with the ideal environment to start and eventually complete their up to three-year-long reproductive cycles.

The majestic southern right whales have travelled a long way to get here – thousands of kilometers – on a journey that starts in June. Then by early Decemberll head in the opposite direction again, back down south to fill their mighty bellies until the following year, when they do it all again. But why do southern right whales undertake these grueling distance migrations?

southern right whales

Southern right whales are seasonal feeders, and during the Southern Hemisphere summer months they spend their time feeding in the far Southern Ocean, a cold and seemingly inhospitable place that is nonetheless rich in microscopic marine animal life, known as zooplankton, such as krill – the main element of the southern right whale’s diet. This makes the Antarctic region ideal for fattening up before embarking on the incredible journey north, towards Hermanus and other places along South Africa’s south coast.

It’s not exactly known how far these marine mammals travel. Distances can vary according to where they feed in the summer, and that in turn can vary according to the distribution of their prey (the krill and other zooplankton we mentioned earlier). While the location of feeding grounds is uncertain and changeable, scientists have positively identified the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and areas south of the 50-degree latitude.

That’s a long way to go, but considering that southern right whales grow to be up to 17m long and can weigh more than 50 tons, these colossal beasts are well equipped for the long- distance challenge.

Once in our relatively warm and calm waters, the whales then undertake the important task of mating and calving (giving birth). They don’t eat while they are here; instead surviving on the ample blubber (fat) they’ve built up during their time in the south.

Places like Walker Bay offer the perfect conditions for breeding in peace. For us land dwellers, it also offers the perfect location from where to view this spectacle of nature. Of course, you needn’t stay on land. With Southern Right Charters, you can get as close as 50m to the visiting whales, and because they are naturally curious, they are likely to swim up to our boat to say hello. Our on-board specialist whale guide will shed light on all the marine life encountered (which certainly doesn’t end with whales) and also explain the southern rights whales’ peculiar behavior: find out what breaching, spyhopping, lobtailling and fluking means, then see it happen first-hand.

Did you know?

More than 100 southern right whales spend their “winter holidays” in the Hermanus area every year.

Whopping Big Whales

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Robin Appleby

There are over 40 species of whale in the world, 3 of which can be seen simultaneously in the waters along the coast of Hermanus in South Africa. For an awe-inspiring experience on a whale watching trip where you can see these magnificent ocean giants- the Southern right whale, the Humpback whale and the Bryde’s whale – the first step is to know what they look like and what how they behave: Continue reading “Whopping Big Whales”

Tag: Hermanus whales