Whales & Marine Life
South Africa's coast offers some of the best marine wildlife viewing in the world:
- Southern Right Whales: From June to November, they come to the bays of the Western Cape to calve. Hermanus is the best place in the world to see them from land.
- Humpback Whales: Migrate north along the coast from June to November. Visible from the Cape Peninsula and the Garden Route.
- Great White Sharks: Gansbaai (near Hermanus) is the world capital of Great White Sharks. Cage diving is possible but controversially discussed.
- African Penguins: The colony in Simon's Town (Boulders Beach) and Betty's Bay are the most accessible. Unfortunately, the species is highly endangered.
- Cape Fur Seals: Huge colonies on Seal Island (False Bay) and Duiker Island (Hout Bay).
- Dolphins: Bottlenose, common dolphins, and the massive Sardine Run formations off the KZN coast (June/July) are spectacular.
- Whale Sharks: The largest fish in the world visit the waters off Sodwana Bay (KZN) from November to March.
