Whale Guides

Daily sailboat excursions around Saldanha Bay on the West Coast of SA, less than 2 hours from Cape Town. The trips go around the harbour and visit nearby islands, including Dassen, to view dolphins, whales and seals, plus many marine birds. The length of trips can be prearranged and all of them leave from a popular licensed seafood restaurant commonly known as the Slipway. The Schaafsma is a 25 meter Motor Sailor skippered by Rob Schaafsma, a sea worthy captain by any standard. The season is typically from late July to November, but they have been know to pop up until February. You just never know.

082 6385723
www.sailboats.co.za

International research institute with headquarters in Plettenberg Bay, which is known as a whale and dolphin capital. Tours are run by expert scientists and staff, and raise funds for the centre. It is a one of a kind approach in the region, and guests benefit from the decades of expertise of the people on board. The focus is on studying the behaviour of the marine mammals and on conservation. All excursions have an official boat based whale watching permit which legally allows the skipper to approach whales and dolphins closely. This means that guests usually get a nature sighting of a lifetime. Bring your camera! The mantra is observe and conserve.

+27 (0)44 5336185
+27 (0)83 655 6903
www.dolphinstudies.co.za

Whale Watching boat tours in Walker Bay, from the towns of Hermanus and Gansbaai. The area is known for some of the best sightings of Southern Right Whales to be found anywhere and is located only a 2 hour drive from Cape Town. Trips take about 2 hours and can accommodate from 8 - 30 passengers. Safaris are skippered and staffed by highly experienced personnel, and they are deeply respectful of the whales. The Ivanhoe was specifically designed for whales watching tours and the security and happiness of the guests is guaranteed. This catamaran is more than 42 ft long and has pollution-free engines, which are both quiet and reliable. It’s a dry boat. No one gets wet!

(+27) 028 384 0556
Cellphone (082) 926 7977
www.whaleviewing.co.za/

Seaside apartment with mountain views that sleeps 6 people located in L`Agulhas, near Cape Town, beside a nature reserve and bird sanctuary where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. A short drive from the longest white sand beach in South Africa. Self contained accommodation with responsible caretakers who can arrange anything you want including access communication technologies. Excellent whale watching. Southern Right whales, plus others, migrate to the area during the months of July to November. They bring their babies quite close to the shore. Excursions can be organized with advanced notice and sometimes on the spot.
+27(0)28 4356386
+27(0)829533343
http://www.places.co.za/html/8112.html

Three generations of the Klapwijk family have been boating around Mossel Bay, whale watching from a 52 foot motor/sail boat. They aim to provide their guests with a delightfully memorable experience. Their boat has an open deck, secure hand rails, an expansive cabin  and wheel house. Guides are allowed to approach the whales up to 50 metres, but the Southern Right Whales often rub up against the boat as they seek a closer look at the people. It is advisable to keep cameras on at all times! Length of boat trips vary depending on the activity of whales but usually range from 60 minutes to 3 hours. The peak whale watching season is from August to October with sightings nearly guaranteed. Other creatures to see are Seals, Sharks, Dolphins and plenty marine birds. They provide Seal Island trips on the hour, 365 days a year. Here you can visit thousands of Cape Furr Seals on a tiny island in Mossel Bay.

+27 (44) 690 3101
www.knysna.com/romonza/

Visit the warm Indian Ocean off Shelly Beach in search of dolphins whales and other marine life. All trips and encounters with marine mammals are conducted in strict accordance with current regulations and conservation guidelines. Experienced and competent skippers and staff ensure safety to the customers. Boats all have proper equipment and are maintained with approval from the Marine Safety Authorities. All whale and dolphin watchers are ‘guests’ visiting the natural environment of these animals and every Whale/Dolphin watch is considered an ‘ocean ecological adventure’ rather than a sight seeing excursion. Open year round.

082 960 7682
www.webfoot.co.za/kznwhale