Guide · Whales

Southern right whale watching in Hermanus: who you will meet

Walker Bay belongs to the southern right whale every winter, but it is not alone. Meet the whales of Hermanus, learn how to tell them apart and find out when each one is around.

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Editorial team, whale-watching-hermanus.comUpdated October 5, 2026about 7 min to read10 sources

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In short

01Main species: Southern right whales come to Walker Bay to calve and mate.¹
02Also seen: Humpback and Bryde's whales visit the bay too.²
03Calves: A southern right mother calves about every 3.12 years.³
04Close to shore: At some points whales come within five meters of the shore.⁴
05When: They are in the bay from June to November, best August to October.⁵

The whale that made Hermanus famous

Southern right whale watching in Hermanus is what the town is known for, and the reason is simple: these whales come here on purpose. They migrate from the Antarctic around June to calve and mate in the shelter of Walker Bay.¹ Instead of passing by on a long journey, many of them settle into the bay for weeks, which is why visitors can watch the same mothers and calves day after day.

Seen up close, a southern right is unmistakable. It is broad and dark, with no fin on its back, and its head carries rough pale patches that look like barnacled islands. When it breathes, the blow often splits into a wide V. The whales move slowly when they rest, and they spend a lot of time near the surface, rolling, lifting a flipper or raising their tail above the water.

That calm behaviour is what makes this bay so special for watching. On a still morning you can follow a mother as she rests with her calf alongside, then watch the calf practise breaching in short, splashy bursts. From the boat or from the cliffs, the experience feels less like spotting wildlife and more like spending time with neighbours who come back every year.

History and life cycle

The southern right whale and Walker Bay

1935

Protection

Southern right whales are protected.⁶
1951 to 1970

Illegal hunt

Soviet fleets illegally take 3,212 whales, slowing recovery.⁶
Every June

The return

Whales migrate from the Antarctic to Walker Bay.¹
August and September

Calving

Calves are born in the sheltered bay.¹
October

Mating

Males arrive and the population peaks.¹
About every 3 years

The next calf

The mean calving interval is 3.12 years.³

Types of whales in Hermanus

The types of whales in Hermanus that visitors talk about most are easy to list. CapeNature names the southern right, the humpback and Bryde's whale as the whales that can be seen in the sheltered bay.² The southern right is by far the star of the season, but the other two add variety, and a good day on the water can bring more than one species.

Humpbacks are travellers. Hermanus.co.za says that, depending on the time of the season, you may see migrating humpback whales or the resident Bryde's whales.⁷ Humpbacks are the acrobats of the group, with long white flippers and a habit of slapping the water or showing their tail as they dive. When they are in the bay, they tend to move more than the resting southern rights.

Bryde's whales are the quiet residents. They are slimmer and faster, with a small curved fin on the back, and they surface briefly before slipping away. Because they live in these waters, they are the whales you are most likely to meet outside the southern right season, although they are harder to follow and photograph than their bigger, slower cousins.

Field guide

How to tell the whales of Hermanus apart

Whale	Fin on back	Blow	Typical behaviour	When
Southern right	None	Often V-shaped	Rests at the surface, raises its tail	June to November
Humpback	Small, on a hump	Single column	Long flippers, deep arched dives	On migration
Bryde's whale	Small and curved	Single column	Short surfacing, changes direction	Through the year

Species and seasons from CapeNature and Hermanus.co.za; the recognition features are general field marks.² ⁷ ⁵

The whales

Walker Bay's whales, side by side

Most seen

Southern right

The winter visitor

Fin on back: None
Blow: Often V-shaped
When: June to November

See the trip

Seasonal

Humpback

The traveller

Fin on back: Small, on a hump
Flippers: Long and white
When: On migration

See the trip

All year

Bryde's whale

The resident

Fin on back: Small and curved
Body: Slim and fast
When: Through the year

See the trip

Decision helper

What do you most want to see?

Tap your wish and see when to come

August or September

Calving takes place in these months.¹

October

The population peaks when the males arrive.¹

The Cliff Path

At some points whales come within five meters of the shore.⁴

A boat trip

Bryde's whales live in these waters all year.⁷

Mid-season, with luck

They pass through on migration at times in the season.⁷

Take a scenic walk along the coast to see the southern right, humpback and Bryde’s whales play in the sheltered bay.

CapeNatureSource 2

Mothers, calves and the rhythm of the bay

The life of the bay follows the calving cycle. Calving takes place in August and September, and the males arrive for mating in October when the whale population peaks.¹ Earlier in the season, South African Tourism notes, most pregnant mothers have arrived by August and September.⁸ This is the time to see tiny calves taking their first breaths beside their mothers.

Southern right mothers do not calve every year. A study published by the International Whaling Commission estimates the mean calving interval for southern right whales off South Africa at 3.12 years.³ That long gap between calves is one reason the population needs protection, and also why every mother and calf in the bay is worth a respectful distance.

Watching a mother and calf is a lesson in patience. The calf stays close, often touching its mother, and both rest at the surface between short dives. When the calf grows bolder, it rolls, slaps the water and breaches, sometimes many times in a row. If you see this from the boat, stay quiet, keep your camera ready and let the moment unfold.

Checklist

Spotting whales like a guide

What to look for

A blow on the horizon, often in a V for southern rights
Splashes from a breach or a tail slap
A dark back with no fin, rolling slowly

What helps

Binoculars on the cliffs
Calm, bright mornings with little wind
A specialist guide on the boat

What to respect

Keep your distance and your voice down
Never throw anything into the sea
Follow the crew's instructions on board

Video

Majestic Hermanus Whales: South Africa's Spectacular Ocean Giants

Until you tap play, the video stays unloaded.

Whale and dolphin watching in Hermanus

Whales are not the only reason to look at the water. The trip sold on this site is a whale and dolphin watching boat trip, and its operator says Bryde's whales and dolphins can be seen through the year. For many visitors, a pod of dolphins riding the bow wave is the moment that makes the whole family cheer.

Whale and dolphin watching in Hermanus works best when you stay open to whatever the bay offers on the day. Dolphins can appear suddenly, race alongside for a few minutes and then vanish, while whales give long, slow encounters. A specialist guide on board helps you recognise what you are seeing and explains the behaviour as it happens.

Seals and seabirds complete the picture. Gulls follow fishing boats, cormorants dive near the rocks, and seals sometimes lift their heads to look at the boat. None of these is guaranteed, but keeping your eyes moving between the horizon and the water close to the hull is the best way to notice everything that shares the bay with the whales.

A protected species with a hard past

The southern right whale was hunted heavily in the past. According to SANBI, it was protected in 1935, and numbers are presumed to have grown until the 1960s, when 3,212 animals were hunted illegally by Soviet fleets between 1951 and 1970.⁶ That illegal hunt delayed the recovery of the population for years.

Today the whales in Walker Bay are protected by strict rules. South African law requires everyone to keep 300 meters away from any whale, unless they hold a permit that allows a closer approach.⁹ Licensed boat operators work under such permits, which is why a boat trip with a permitted operator is the only legal way to get close on the water.

The bay itself is part of a wider protected area. CapeNature describes Walker Bay as a coastal nature reserve with five coastal areas between Hermanus and Die Dam near Struisbaai.¹⁰ Respecting the whales here means following the rules on the water and on the cliffs: keep noise down, do not throw anything into the sea and give the animals space.

How to tell the whales apart

At first every dark back in the water looks the same, but a few clues help. Look for a fin on the back: southern rights have none, while humpbacks and Bryde's whales do. Watch the blow: a southern right's blow often splits into a V shape, while other whales usually blow in a single column. And watch the head: the pale, rough patches on a southern right's head are unique to the species.

Behaviour helps too. Southern rights often rest motionless at the surface or lift their tails and hold them in the wind. Humpbacks show long white flippers and tend to arch their back sharply before a deep dive. Bryde's whales surface quickly, blow and disappear, often in a different spot each time, which can make them hard to follow.

Your guide will help, but it is fun to learn to spot the differences yourself. Take a few photos of each encounter and compare them later: the shape of the back, the head and the tail tell the story. By the end of the trip you will start to recognise a southern right at a glance, even from the cliffs.

Watching from land or from a boat

One of the best things about Hermanus is that you can see southern rights without leaving dry land. The Cliff Path runs along the coast, and at certain points the whales come as close as five meters from the shore.⁴ Mothers and calves especially like the shallow, sheltered water, which brings them close to the rocks.

A boat gives you a different view. You reach whales that stay further out, see them at eye level and hear their blows up close. On this site's tour you go out on a purpose-built catamaran with a whale specialist guide, and the trip lasts 2 hours. For many visitors, the best plan is both: the cliffs one day and the boat the next.

Whichever you choose, give yourself time. Whales rest, travel and play in their own rhythm, and the best moments rarely come in the first few minutes. Bring warm clothes, a camera and patience, and you will leave Hermanus with a much better idea of who these whales are.

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You ask,we answer.

Which whales can you see in Hermanus?

Southern right, humpback and Bryde's whales. CapeNature names the southern right, the humpback and Bryde's whale for the sheltered water of Walker Bay.²

Why do southern right whales come to Hermanus?

To calve and mate. They migrate from the Antarctic around June to calve and mate in the bay.¹

When are calves born?

In August and September. Calving takes place in these months, before the males arrive in October.¹

How often does a southern right have a calf?

About every three years. The mean calving interval off South Africa is estimated at 3.12 years.³

Are there dolphins in Hermanus?

Yes, through the year. The operator of this site's boat trip says Bryde's whales and dolphins are seen all year round.

How close can boats get to whales?

Only with a permit. Everyone must keep 300 meters away from any whale unless a permit allows a closer approach.⁹

Are southern right whales protected?

Yes, since 1935. SANBI notes the protection of 1935 and the illegal Soviet hunt that later slowed their recovery.⁶