WHALE WATCHING IN HERMANUS

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Day 6: Betty's Bay and Whale Watching in Hermanus

The whale watching in Hermanus It is our final destination today, after enjoying the routes around Cape Town in one day and Cape Town in two days and an incredible tour of the places to see in the Cape Peninsula, with which we can say, we have started the trip to South Africa in 25 days in the best possible way, although before this encounter with the whales, we will know another of the places to see in South Africa, which is none other than the colony of Betty's Bay penguins.

We have breakfast at 6:30 in the morning at the lounge of the Circa Luxury Apartment Hotel, our accommodation in Cape Town these days, at 7 o'clock to take the rental car in South Africa and on time to make way to this first point of the route of Today, it is about 100 kilometers from Cape Town and an hour and a quarter of travel.

If you are going to make this route from Cape Town to Betty's Bay, we advise you to leave from Cape Town on the N2 connecting with the R44, instead of making the whole journey on this road. In this way you can travel the first section of the whale route going along the coast, having the possibility of stopping at different viewpoints and, if you're lucky, start watching whales before reaching Hermanus, since this area of the coast, from June to November, receives these incredible animals.

In our case it seems that luck is not on our side and we do not see any whales, something that makes us go with butterflies in the stomach and some fear, hoping that whale watching in Hermanus is possible and we do not stay with The desire to enjoy this amazing animal.

We arrive at Betty's Bay when it is 9:15 in the morning, leaving the rental car directly in the parking lot enabled for it and we approach the ticket booths where we pay

Betty's Bay

Betty's Bay is a pleasant town located in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, especially known for locating the Stony Point penguin colony, one of the four colonies in South Africa, which was declared a nature reserve in July 2002.
Since that time, this colony has been growing a lot due to the care they receive and their greater reproduction.
In addition to the penguins, at Betty's Bay you can see three species of cormorants, Hartlaub gulls, which feed on the colony and numerous dassies, which can be seen among the rocks.

From our visit, something that we highlight is that it is done entirely through walkways, so you can not touch the penguins or other animals, that the whole environment is very well maintained and that the work we see of the Volunteers in the time we are, is incredibly attentive to animals, something we have to say, we especially like.

Betty's Bay

Catwalk at Betty's Bay

Tips for visiting Betty's Bay

The schedule is from 8 am to 5 pm (last entry at 4 pm)
The price is R20 per person and the Wild Card is not valid.
The duration of the visit, although it depends on the stops you make, is approximately one hour, taking it easy and taking pictures.
The best time to come is in the afternoon, as it is the time when the penguins return from fishing in the sea.
Always respect the rules: not feeding the animals, not disturbing them or not touching them is main and although we understand that this is something that should be common sense, it is worth remembering.

Betty's Bay

Penguin colony Betty's Bay

After the experience we have to say that we believe that Betty's Bay is totally recommended, even if you have been to Boulders Beach, since these can be seen in a more responsable, since you cannot approach them by the catwalk and in our case, we have seen a colony much larger than the one we saw on the beach.

Betty's Bay

A few minutes past 10 in the morning, after an hour with the penguins, when we continue with today's route, now heading to Hermanus, the place where we hope to see whales in South Africa, one of the dreams of This trip, which we hope to meet in a few hours, where we arrive about 11 in the morning after 50 kilometers, going directly to Hermanus Backpackers & Budget Accommodation, our accommodation in Hermanus tonight, where we leave our luggage and go straight , camera in hand, in search of the much desired whale watching in Hermanus.

We leave you a map with the stops of the route today at Betty's Bay, to see penguins and Hermanus for whale watching.

And it happens. We do not need more than 5 minutes, the time it takes to get to the coast from our hotel, to see the first whale in the distance and with it, let out a scream and feel such emotion that does not make us aware that in addition to the that we have just seen, just next to it there are several more, we have 10 who play, go out and enter the sea and show the tail just a few meters from the coast, giving us one of the most incredible moments of the trip.

Whale Watching in Hermanus

Located about 120 kilometers from Cape Town, on a really incredible coastline, we find Hermanus, a small and charming town, known worldwide for being one of the best places in the world to see whales, even from the coast.
Between the months of June to November, southern right whales settle in this bay for months to mate, give birth and feed, in waters very rich in plankton, giving an incredible show to travelers who come here in search of one of the most incredible moments of nature.

Whale Watching in Hermanus

Whales in Hermanus

Keep in mind that whales, during this time, can be seen along the entire coast, although the sighting in Hermanus is especially known because in this town they are very close to the coast, they are usually seen in greater numbers and at a short distance, in many cases less than 20 meters, so this has become an essential stop for any lover or not, of nature and these beautiful animals.

At this point, we want to highlight that our experience in Hermanus has been really incredible. We can say that we have seen more than 50 whales in the morning that we have been crossing the coast of the town, some closer than others, but always visible without the need for binoculars.

Whale Watching in Hermanus

Places for whale watching in Hermanus

Although they can be seen along the entire coast, as we mentioned earlier, in Hermanus there are two duly signposted paths, in which you can see whales in a habitual way, within the time when they approach these coasts and that we believe, They are the best ones to have an encounter with these amazing animals.

Trail 1

This is the first of the trails that we advise you to follow, especially if you stay in the same hotel as us. It is about 500 meters away and goes along the coast until you reach the Puerto Nuevo, from where most of the whale watching tours depart in Hermanus.
This trail is just over 2 kilometers, but if you do not have time or do not want to travel it completely, you can only do a part, since the whales are usually along the entire coast.
This is the least crowded since it is farthest from the most central area of the town so you can be more calm and enjoy this incredible spectacle of nature for yourself.

Trail 1 Hermanus

Whale in Hermanus

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Trail 2

This trail of just over 1 kilometer, runs along the coast closest to the center of Hermanus and being much closer to the road, is much busier than the previous one. In spite of that, we recommend you to do it, since in many of the points you get very close to the coast something that allows you to see whales much closer and more clearly.
If, as we arrive at Hermanus in the morning, it is best to do the trail 1 first and then do the 2 and finish in the center of Hermanus to eat.

Trail 2 Hermanus

Hermanus

We recommend you to walk both paths, since it will not take you long and they are very easy to travel. In both you will find benches where you can rest, viewpoints on rocky headlands, where you can get closer to the sea and all kinds of signs and explanations of marine life.

Tips for watching whales in Hermanus

The most important thing is to know that the whale season in Hermanus It runs from June to the beginning of November, the first half of October being a highly recommended period, at which time the temperature is mild since winter has passed but summer has not yet come.
Although in most cases the whales are seen with the naked eye, it is highly recommended to have binoculars, as this way you will be able to see many more details and in case one is jumping in the distance, to be able to see it.
Another of the recommendations for whale watching in South Africa is to have an objective indicated for nature photography. We carry a Fujinon 100-400 with the Fujifilm XT2 that accompanies us on trips and after the experience, we can not be happier.
As we have told you, we have been very lucky and have seen whales in Hermanus from minute one, but this is not always the case, so we recommend you to be patient and above all, do not overwhelm yourself if you do not see at the beginning. The incredible thing about this place is to discover it little by little, savoring it with sips and waiting for the moment to come.
Our recommendation is to dedicate a full day to Hermanus, so that you can do both trails and a boat trip, either in the afternoon or in the morning, with the sunrise, as we have done.

Whale Watching in Hermanus

Whether or not the trails. See or not whales. Be further or closer, after our experience we strongly advise you to take a tour to see whales. In Hermanus there are 4 companies that perform this service, all promote responsible tourism and do not come within meters of the established whales, in addition to not chasing them at any time, so we believe it is a unique time to enjoy This amazing spectacle of nature.
Although you can book it directly in the companies or through your accommodation, it is important to know that sometimes the seats run out quickly, as has happened to us, so it is interesting to have the reservation made in advance.
One of the options is this tour from Hermanus or east to Cape Town to see whales in one day.

Hermanus

It's 1 noon, after just over two hours touring the coast enjoying the whale watching in HermanusWhen we decided that the time has come to make a technical stop to eat so we approached the most central area of the town, one of the most recommended restaurants that is other than Pearl Tree, where we ordered a plate of squid, Special burger plus beer, soda, dessert and two coffees for R392 that we have to confess, we feel great.

Eating at Pearl Tree

We just ate at 2 in the afternoon and although we wanted to take a few minutes to relax, the nerves to continue with the whale watching in Hermanus, they make us return to the Hermanus Backpackers & Budget Accommodation to check in, since before our room was not ready yet, to try to book a tour to see whales from a boat at 3 in the afternoon for R700 per person.

At this point and although we have already mentioned it before, we want to record that before doing this tour, we have been reading about the companies that do it in Hermanus and the 4 that are licensed, promote responsible tourism, something very important for us.
None of them can approach or less than 50 meters from the whales or chase them, although on many occasions nature is unpredictable and it is the whale that the boat approaches in a very curious way, so in these tours you have many opportunities to to be able to see them very close, something that we cannot deny, we really want.
Book here the tour to see whales by boat in Hermanus.
Book here the tour to see whales by boat in Hermanus from Cape Town.

Whales in Hermanus

Unfortunately, having waited so long and not having booked in advance, they tell us that there are no places for 3 in the afternoon, something that we are not going to lie to you, leaves us chafed enough to tell the owner of the accommodation, if can you give us some other solution that does not involve wasting a lot of time tomorrow, since the planning we have is also tight and we cannot take away many hours.
After several calls, we get a place in a small boat, which is what we wanted for 6:30 in the morning, coinciding with the sunrise and also, the time of day when the sea is calmer, something to which it is impossible to resist and that we reserve after paying R700 per person.

With a smile from ear to ear and already calm to have the excursion to see whales in Hermanus already closed, we stayed in the room to rest for a while and work a few hours and when it is 4 in the afternoon, return to walk the path 1 , which we have a few minutes from our hotel, where we find a whale with its young less than 20 meters from the coast, that gives us one of the most incredible experiences we have ever had. And is that listening to the sound and seeing them so close, it is really something impossible to explain with words for what we can already say, it has been worth this South Africa for free.

Whales in South Africa

After two hours spellbound, crossing the coast of Hermanus again, now dotted with less whales than this morning, when we decided to approach an ice cream shop in the most central area of Hermanus, where we had a snack and had a coffee before returning to the Hermanus Backpackers & Budget Accommodation, take advantage of getting to know Hermanus a little, getting lost in its western-style streets, where a totally tourist atmosphere reigns until 5-6 in the afternoon, when the trade closes and there are only restaurants and bars open, making Hermanus a locality in which the whales at that time go to the background.

Tour to see whales in Hermanus

Although we did this tour the next day first thing in the morning, as we have said, since we ran out of seats for the afternoon tour for not having booked, we wanted to include our experience today so you can have all the information about whale watching in Hermanus in the same article.

As we have commented on several occasions in this post, there are 4 companies that make the excursion to see whales in Hermanus and all are within what we know as responsible tourism.
The majority of whale watching companies in Hermanus depart from the Puerto Nuevo, located about 3 kilometers from the city center. You can get there perfectly by car and leave it in the parking lot while you do the excursion.
Each of them has a different schedule, although the most common are 8-9 in the morning, 11 in the morning and 15 in the afternoon. In our case, we imagine that because it is high season, they offer us a tour at 6:30 in the morning, coinciding with the sunrise, which we have to say, after the experience, it is highly recommended.
The tour lasts between 2 and 3 hours, depending on whale sightings or how far the boat has to go to see them.
Although the tours do not leave if there is a very bad sea, sometimes there are olejae, especially in the afternoon tours, so it is worth going prepared and taking a pill against dizziness.

Tour to see whales in Hermanus

Whatever time you choose to do the excursion to see whales, wear some warm clothes, sunglasses and sunscreen, since both the air and the sun can bother you.
Once the tour is finished, back to Hermanus, they usually give a drink and a snack included in the price.
Do not forget the camera and binoculars.

Book here the tour to see whales by boat in Hermanus.
Book here the tour to see whales by boat in Hermanus from Cape Town.

Tour to see whales in Hermanus

And most importantly, enjoy it to the fullest! Whale watching in Hermanus is one of the most incredible experiences in the world.

We leave you a map with today's points for whale watching in Hermanus, one of the most incredible experiences we have been lucky to live on our trips, our accommodation, the port and the restaurant.

Day 7: What to see on the Garden Route: Cape Agulhas, Hoop Nature Reserve