News Flash – January, 2013 – the Whales have now departed Hermanus – they will be back in JUNE 2013 – Hermanus Whale Festival will be 20th to 24th Sept 2013
Hermanus offer 100′s of Activities, so please check them out at – http://whalehermanus.com/prices/
Whales are without a doubt one of the most mysterious and beautiful creatures in the ocean, with many people travelling hundreds of miles in the hope of spotting one of these gentle creatures. Thankfully there are 100′s of Whales to be viewed at Hermanus, South Africa, very close to land during the months of early June to early December. With the largest number ever spotted, by Cessna light plane aerial survey, in ONE day being 196 Whales in our small Walker Bay at Hermanus.
- Whale watching boat trips, Hermanus, South Africa
Hermanus is situated on the stunning South Coast of the Western Cape (90mins from Cape Town) and is famous for its incredible viewings of Southern Right Whales. Hermanus should in fact be considered the official home of the Southern Right Whale, since every year during late Sept, Hermanus hosts it’s annual Whale Festival, which attracts over 130,000 people and when the Southern Right Whales arrive in large numbers to breed, give birth and playfully frolic in the sea – this year it will be held – 20th to 24th Sept, 2013. (Other species of Whales that can be viewed are Humpbacks and Bryde’s Whales, as well as African Penguins, Cape Fur Seals and if you are very lucky pods of Dolphin).
Whale watching boat trips will take you out to sea to get even closer to these incredible creatures. (CONTACT US to discuss all the options.)
The Whale Festival is unique in that it celebrates the arrival of the Southern Right Whales – with all manner of Arts & Crafts markets, large stages for music bands and DJs, kiddies arena, Eco-marquees showcasing the diverse marine creatures, all sorts of cuisine and food stalls, drama, theatre groups and stage show performances, as well as being classified as the only Eco-Arts Festival in South Africa. This year it will be held – 20th to 24th Sept, 2013.
Mother and Baby Southern Right Whales at Hermanus, South Africa
Hermanus is considered to be the world’s premier site for watching whales and the many people who flock there during the Whale season of June to December, look forward to catching sight of these intelligent creatures playing in the water. Because the whales in Hermanus do indeed play…..they are known to manoeuvre their flukes (tails) to catch the prevailing wind and “sail” along in the water…..just for the fun of it! They also love jumping clean out of the water (called breaching), to crash back down into the sea with an almighty splash. Fantastic to see!! 
Now an endangered species and protected under strict international laws, the Southern Right Whale is now recovering at a birth rate of between 7% and 10% each year, thankfully meaning their numbers double every decade.
The town boasts its own “Whale Crier” (the only one in the world) who is employed to wander the cliff paths and call out the locations of the whales throughout the day to everyone walking by.
Wine Tours and Wine Tasting in Hermanus
There are some fabulous places to visit in and around Hermanus; it’s noted “Blue Flag” beach is Grotto Beach which is the biggest beach in Hermanus. Voelklip and Kammabaai beaches are also notable places to visit. Fernkloof Flower gardens; the Hemel-en-Aarde Wine Valley is now world famous for its award winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and many other wine cultivars. Fantastic scenic views from mountain tops and gorgeously pretty countryside.
The town has many excellent restaurants, funky bars and many pleasant shops, boutiques and art galleries.
Hermanus also has 100′s of fabulous Activities to keep you very busy – including -
Whale Watching boat trips and/or Land-based Whale Watching walking tours - (the Whale season is early June to early December each year)
Great White Shark cage diving - if Prince Harry and Brad Pitt can do it – so can YOU
Kayaking with the Whales, seals and penguins and if you are lucky pods of Dolphins
Wine Tours of our Wine Valley with 15 excellent wineries, 10 great tasting rooms, 5 fab restaurants and over 80 award winning wines – wine tours can also be arranged to visit Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Elim, Constantia and all points in-between…..
Cessna 3 seater plane flights and / or Micro-light flights over the Whales, ocean and amazingly pretty countryside
Quad Biking - zip thro wine farms, olive groves and high up onto the mountains of Hermanus for spectacular views of the horse-shoe coastline of Walker Bay from 350 metres above sea-level
Canoeing on our flat-as-a-pancake lagoon
Cape Floral Kingdom and a World Heritage site for it’s incredibly unique flowers and plants, collectively named Fynbos
Safari park only 2 and half hours away to see African animals in their natural environments
Tree Top canopy rope slides to play Tarzan and zip along metal cables suspended between high trees
Penguin colonies to see these invincible birds comically woddle about and swim for their supper
Bird watching – with over 350 species of African birds it is a “Twitchers” paradise
African Craft Markets and African Art Classes – fabulous colour and designs will have you transfixed
Horse Riding on our massive and deserted beaches or up onto the mountains
Scuba diving – explore the under-water world
Sandboarding – down the huge sand dunes for 3 to 5 hrs (Dec to Feb)
Surfing and Kite-Surfing – learn how to zip on the waves
Golf - we have 2 amazing courses, with one that has 27 holes
Sea Fishing trips to catch your supper
Mountain Biking – hire a bike, accompany a biking guide and explore fantastic dirt trails
Paintball - splat everyone with paint-balls – great fun for groups of 10 or more persons
Hiking to discover loads of beautiful scenery, mountains, plants and much more….
Swimming at long sandy beaches, secret coves, rock pools, luxury swimming pools and all sorts of splashing about
Scenic Road Trips – to explore the outstanding scenery and natural wonders of the region
Sun-downer boat cruises around the bay – on a luxury 70 seater Catamaran yacht, with cash bar and loads of room to sun-bathe
River cruise boats – with Braai / BBQ facilities and massive rubber rings towed behind to enjoy a swim in the river……
Amazing Races, Team Building, Corporate events, Stag days – exciting day events custom-built for all sorts of groups.
And don’t forget to totally enjoy and indulge in our culinary wonders at over 70 mouth-watering restaurants; while our excellent 200 accommodation establishments offer fabulous and very comfy beds and massively filling breakfasts…..
We can assist you with everything mentioned above and loads loads more – click CONTACT US to ask us all your holiday in Hermanus questions
- View our TripAdvisor reviews here – Percy Tours Day Tours in Hermanus