Southern right whales come into Walker Bay from June to December, close enough to watch from the town's cliffs. Boat trips from Hermanus New Harbour cost ZAR 1,580 per adult.
Dark months are the peak for that species, light months are the rest of its season. October is marked.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern right whale | January: not usually seen | February: not usually seen | March: not usually seen | April: not usually seen | May: not usually seen | June: peak | July: peak | August: peak | September: peak | October: peak | November: peak | December: in season |
| Humpback whale | January: not usually seen | February: not usually seen | March: not usually seen | April: not usually seen | May: not usually seen | June: in season | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: not usually seen | November: not usually seen | December: not usually seen |
Peak In season
From southernrightcharters.co.za, southernrightcharters.co.za. Whales turn up outside these months too.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Boat | If no whales | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sea Kayaking (guided eco marine sea kayak tour)Includes Guides certified in marine guiding and first aid at sea |
R550 per person |
2 hours (90 minutes of paddling after check-in and safety briefing) |
Sit-on-top, self-bailing kayaks | Not stated | Trips may be rescheduled or cancelled in excessive wind or swell. | Check dates | |||
Hermanus Whale Watching ExperienceIncludes Whale specialist guide, Skipper and crew, Onboard videographer (trip movie sold separately) |
R1,580 per adult |
1h30 to 3 hours, about 2 hours on average |
All ages; under 13s wear life jackets and must be supervised | Twin hull catamaran (size not stated) | 50% refund or a free place on the next available tour if no whales are seen | Weather cancellations get another date or full refund; changes within 24 hours cost 100% (7 days for groups of 10+). | Check dates | ||
Marine Big 5 TourIncludes Free trip video when booked directly online |
R2,340 per adult |
Licensed for 50 passengers |
Dreamcatcher, custom-built whale watching boat licensed for 50 passengers and 6 crew | Not stated | Check dates | ||||
Private charter |
R78,000 per group |
Twin hull catamaran (size not stated) | Not stated | Changes or cancellations within 7 days of the trip cost 100%. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Southern Right Charters sails from Hermanus New Harbour, where passengers board at The Whale Shack. Check-in closes 30 minutes before departure, which is also when the on-land briefing happens. Boats leave daily at 6:30 am, 9:00 am, 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm, weather permitting, and private or group bookings can ask for 5:00 pm at some times of year. Trips have no fixed length: 1.5 to 3 hours, about 2 on average, depending on how far out the whales are.
Walker Bay Adventures launches its sea kayaks from the Old Harbour. Dyer Island Cruises is based in Gansbaai, with its office at 5 Geelbek Street in Van Dyks Bay, and its trips work the water around Dyer Island and Shark Alley. It sells versions of its Marine Big 5 tour with return transfers from Hermanus or Cape Town.
Walker Bay's southern right whales arrive in June and stay into December. Southern Right Charters runs its whale season from June to mid-December and calls June to late November the peak. Seen from the cliffs as early as June, the whales usually leave in early December, and the annual Hermanus Whale Festival marks their calving and mating season.
Humpbacks and Bryde's whales are the other large species. Southern Right Charters lists humpbacks from June to September and Bryde's whales all year, while Dyer Island Cruises in Gansbaai puts humpbacks in January to May, along with seasonal migrations. Common dolphins in pods of thousands, bottlenose dolphins, Cape fur seals, African penguins and Cape gannets are also on Southern Right Charters' list, and shy albatross are often seen at sea in winter.
Around Dyer Island, the Gansbaai operator counts about 60,000 Cape fur seals on Geyser Rock, with pups born around November, and African penguins on the island itself. Humpback, common and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins all visit the bay there, and the operator says all of its Marine Big 5 can turn up on a single trip.
Southern Right Charters calls Hermanus weather "notoriously fickle": a day can run from about 30°C to cold, misty, wet or windy. It advises layers, a windbreaker and a camera, and suggests motion sickness syrup for children. Its boat, MV Miroshca, is a purpose-built catamaran designed for comfort and stability, with enclosed areas, toilets and a water refill station.
Every trip depends on the weather and the sea, and cancellations can come at short notice by WhatsApp or email, so keep your contact details current. Southern Right Charters updates its trip status around 4:00 pm each day and offers a new date or a full refund when it cancels. Walker Bay Adventures reschedules or cancels kayak trips in excessive wind or swell.
A Southern Right Charters ticket is ZAR 1,580 for an adult, ZAR 790 for a child under 12 and ZAR 1,480 for students and seniors, and under-3s go free. A whale specialist guide briefs passengers on land and narrates on board, and a videographer films each trip, with the movie sold separately. The company claims a 99% sighting rate. If no whales are seen, it gives back half the fare or a free seat on the next available tour. Whole-boat private charters are also available.
Gansbaai's Dyer Island Cruises is the pricier boat, at ZAR 2,340 per adult and ZAR 1,725 for under-12s, with a ZAR 150 conservation fee per person on top and lower rates for South African citizens. Its Dreamcatcher has four deck levels and is licensed for 50 passengers. The company employs marine biologists, runs its own registered conservation trust and includes a visit to the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary. Booking direct online adds a free trip video.
Walker Bay Adventures' guided sea kayak outings leave the Old Harbour, last 2 hours with about 90 minutes of paddling, and cost ZAR 550. They use sit-on-top kayaks, and beginners can join. The trips run in the Walker Bay Whale Sanctuary, and the company says its kayaks keep 300 m from whales and move away if one comes close. It sells them as marine eco tours, with whales a possible sighting. Licensed whale watching boats may approach slowly to 50 m.
from R550 per person
Sea Kayaking (guided eco marine sea kayak tour)
Kayak trips run in the Walker Bay Whale Sanctuary; whales are possible, not the trip's focus
from R1,580 per adult
Hermanus Whale Watching Experience and 1 more option
Claims a 99% sighting success rate but says sightings cannot be guaranteed
from R2,340 per adult
Marine Big 5 Tour
Based in Gansbaai (office at 5 Geelbek St, Van Dyks Bay), not Hermanus
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.