How can I organise a boat trip ?

Contact us to avoid disappointment.

We will organise the booking for the boat trip on your behalf with………

                                                              ** SOUTHERN RIGHT CHARTERS

As they advertise, it is an unforgettable experience.

You will be welcomed on board the Miroshca, a luxurious custom built whale watching Catamaran, built for your comfort and ultimate viewing and be in the company of a registered skipper and whale specialist guide.

You will receive complimentary light refreshments.

There are toilets on board.

Bookings are daily in season – weather permitting.

You will be advised to bring a jacket, cap, sunblock, camera and to wear comfortable shoes.

Motion sickness tablets must be taken in advance if needed.

**HERMANUS WHALE CRUISES

                                                             

How did this magnificent mammal get its name?

Southern Right Whale

Whalers called it the “right” whale to hunt. Swimming slowly on the surface of the water their broad backs were clearly visible making easy targets. They are rich in oil and baleen.

How do I  identify these whales?

*They have no dorsal fin.

*Callosities are found on the nose, called the rostrum, in varying formations making individual identification possible.

*There are sometimes white pigmentation or blazes on their bodies.

*They have two blow holes, which create a V shaped spray and the blast of air and mucous can be heard some distance away.

*The tail is V shaped. and the flippers are short and square.

Where are they to be found?

Southern Right whales are generally found in the Southern Antartic from December to April feeding on the prolific supply of krill and cope pods to accumulate a large amount of blubber in preparation for the journey back to South Africa.

When and where is the best time to view these whales?

The whales migrate from their Antarctic feeding grounds arriving in Southern African waters from July to frolic and mate and if pregnant from the previous season to give birth.

The Cliff path in Hermanus has some of the best land-based whale watching in the world.

The whale season peaks in October when as many as between  80 – 100 have been spotted in Walker Bay.

Whales can be seen frolicking as close as five metres from the cliff.

Interesting Facts:

The Southern Right Whale….

….weighs between 60 and 80 tonnes.

….male measures on average 15,2 m and the female 16,5m

….new born calf measures between five and six metres long.

….gestation period is about 12 months and the calf is born tail first.

….calf is helped to the surface by it’s mother to take its first breathe.

…. calf takes thirty minutes to learn how to swim.

…. calf lives off mother’s high fat milk of 600 litres per day for the first six to eight months.

….calf grows 2,8cm per day.

….female adult gives birth to one calf every three to four years.

….life span  is estimated to be 90 to 100 years.

Interesting whale antics 

LOBTAILING

Whales slap the surface of the water repeatedly and loudly with their tail flukes creating an enormous splash.

There is no clear reason why. It may be a form of social communication or a warning to rival whales or sharks. It may be to simply get rid of parasites or dead skin cells or for the pure fun of it.

 

SAILING

Whales love to extend their tails into the air while pointing their noses down, sailing in this position almost motionless.

No one knows for certain, but this could be a way of catching the wind to ” sail” through the water or as a way of cooling themselves down. The locals believe the whales just enjoy showing off.

          

SPYHOPPING

This is the reverse of sailing where the whale stands vertically on it’s tail with it’s head out of the water. This gives the whale a 360 degree view of the world above the water.

Mom and baby.

This was a special appearance for me on my birthday in August, spotted from the cliff path in Hermanus.

BLOWING

A hollow, echoing sound can be heard when air is expelled from the lungs through the double blowhole and is accompanied by a spout of water vapour.

GRUNTING

This is a loud bellowing sound that carries up to 2km away and is often heard at night.

BREACHING

The whale propels itself up and pushes three quarters or more of it’s body out of the water in one graceful leap and falls back into the sea with an enormous slash.They usually breach three to five times in succession.

Scientists are uncertain if this is a means of communication, an aggressive display, or simply an act of sheer exuberance.

I would choose to think the latter.

MATING

There is much touching and body stroking using the flippers before mating takes place.

PLAYING WITH KELP

Whales have been sighted within the outer edges of kelp beds actively manipulating pieces of kelp over their backs or heads.

They appear to enjoy the contact. The kelp is believed to possibly act as a rough loofah for the release of dead skin and whale lice.

Take a look at the incredible beauty of this brilliant underwater shot by Brian Skerry