Are you also going whale watching in Hermanus, Walker Bay, South Africa – Read all the tips for whale watching in Hermanus

Driving along the beautiful and well-maintained roads of South Africa, we were on our way to the town of Hermanus because we were going whale watching in Hermanus. I had read that Hermanus was one of the best spots in South Africa for whale watching. I had no idea about it but my mother and I just went that way to experience it.

Read all the tips for whale watching in Hermanus

View over Walker Bay – Hermanus

Where is Hermanus – South Africa?

Hermanus is a town on the southern coast of the Western Cape province in South Africa. Originally the town was called Hermanuspietersfontein but this name proved too long and so it was shortened to Hermanus.

What is the best time to spot whales in Hermanus?

Hermanus is located on Walker Bay and from the Indian Ocean, whales like to swim into the bay. From June to October, the Humpback’s and Southern Rights come here and you can spot them from the shore already.

Driving there and stopping at Betty’s Bay

The way along the coast is a beautiful one to drive.It gives you so many great panorama views along the bays and the mountains. When we arrived at Hermanus we immediatly saw where we had to be. There was a big parkinglot with a viewing point where a lot of people were standing staring in the same direction, the bay of Hermanus. There were a couple of them walking away from the bay..  

We got the idea that we were to late, we missed it.. We had visited Betty’s Bay earlier that afternoon, spotting hundreds of pinquins!

That was also a great experience! Read about that here

Whale watching in Hermanus. immediatly whales in sight!

Arriving at Hermanus

We quickly parked the car in the car park on Marine Drive and walked to Gearing’s Point viewpoint. There were still a lot of people standing and it didn’t take long anyway before we thought we saw something. And a little while later, we actually saw a fin surface. It was a few hundred metres away. How super! And what a big sight!

Check GPS location for whale watching in Hermanus from Gearing’s Point.

Everyone who saw it was happy, people cheered.

How cool!

Spotting the amazing whales of Hermanus

It didn’t took long before we saw another whale. This one came out of the water highter. What a great sight! And just a second later the water came out of his blowwhole, such a great sighting. And I got it on the picture as well!! I was so happy seeing this wonder of nature getting closer and closer to us! I couldn’t imagine how big the animal was, so many metres under water.

When I saw that whale swimming in front of me. how small I felt then. So small and insignificant we are as humans, while at the same time we exert so much influence over everything so powerful and beautiful.

Isn’t that great? Jumping out of the water?

(pictures are taken from a couple of hundred metres away)

Whale watching in Hermanus – Walker Bay

The whales seemed to come closer. At some point I started to walk with two of them, I came upon the point of the viewingpoint and at a certain point exited the viewingpoint and entered the cliff. This allowed me to come a bit closer to the sea and two of the enormous whales were swimming in front of me with just a small bit of the back visible above sealevel.

I was looking with my mouth open

I was struck by its beauty and overwhelmed by its size!

Seeing this whale swimming past me just metres in front of me!

Between me and the people left of me you see the whale!

My mom and I with the Walker Bay on the background

Hiking the Hermanus Cliff Path – 12 km

If you have a little more time than I had in Hermanus then I would like to recommend this hike. If I had been in Hermanus now I would definitely have taken this walk along the 12-kilometre Hermanus Cliff Path. The path leads you past several vantage points so you can spot whales and meanwhile you walk through the Fernkloof Nature Reserve.

What a cool way to spot the whales in Hermanus!

Have you ever seen a whale so close up? I found it super impressive and would love to go again. I also once saw whales in Sri Lanka. Still, this time was the best experience because they swim right past you without us ‘bothering’ them.

Book the whale-watching trip in Hermanus from Cape Town with also a stop at Betty’s Bay and Struisbaai. Or do you still book a boat trip in Hermanus?

Stay in Hermanus?

Check out the Nautilus Guesthouse. From this guesthouse, you can walk straight up the Hermanus Cliff Path and to the coast to go whale watching. And? They have a lovely swimming pool there.

Book the 7 on Marine hotel? Then watch the whales in the bay from your balcony as you wake up in the morning with a delicious cup of coffee. What more could you want?

Want to read some more South Africa tips?

4 day Safari Itinerary incl Kruger NP – South Africa

Visiting the prison of Mandela on Robben Island, Cape Town – South Africa

Visiting the Penquins of Betty’s Bay, South Africa