The whales are back!

We love this time of year... especially this year where we seem to be having such fabulous, warm sunny days in the Cape! But particularly because our large friends start arriving from the icy waters of the Antarctica. Coming to enjoy our warmer climate and sheltered bays along the Western Cape Coastline. Spending time mating, calving and frolicking with incredible water acrobatics to wow any crowd!

A few days ago, a leisurely yacht cruise turned out to be quite an eventful trip when suddenly a large, young southern right whale breached right near the yacht - and landed on it! These pictures tell the story... luckily no-one, including the whale, were hurt (except the yacht clearly)

The whales visit our shoreline anytime from May to about November which makes this a fabulous time of year to come visit the Cape. You can often spot them from land, but there are also many great boat-based excursions too.

And if you need ideas of where to stay while visiting - well, we have many great places to suggest from Cape Town to Hermanus and beyond.

For somewhere away from the crazy whale-watching crowds, a place to chill and enjoy a private whale-watching time with your family or a group of friends... how about this magnificent private beach house located about 3hrs drive from Cape Town. Sleeping a maximum of 8 people and fully kitted for self-catering, it makes a wonderful place to enjoy a couple of days of sea-side living!

Want to book it? Contact us now for availability and special prices: info@africanpathfinder.com

Interesting Southern Right Whale facts:

• Adult whales can measure between 15 & 16.2 meters in length... a newborn calf can be anything around 5 - 6 meters long
• The average lifespan is a whopping 90 - 100 years!
• Right Whales get their name from whalers who identified them as the 'right' whale to kill on a hunt
• An adult whale weighs roughly 70 tons... that's about 10 x a bus!
• Unlike fish, whales swim by moving their tails up and down

Some whale antics:

• Breaching When a whale leaps out of the water, sometimes twirling around, it is called breaching. This action may be done purely for play, or may be used to loosen skin parasites and other irritations the whale might have. Breaching is also believed to be a means of communication with other whales and is usually done in sets of between four and six.
• Fluking is when a whale raises its tail out of the water as it begins a dive.
• Lobtailing This is an activity in which the animal sticks its tail out of the water, swings it around and then slaps it onto the water's surface. This produces a loud sound which is believed to be a means of communication between whales.
• Logging This is when the whale is merely lying in the water, with its tail hanging down. Part of the head and back are exposed.
• Spouting / Blowing When whales blow water out of the blowholes located near the top of the head it is known as spouting. Southern Right Whales have two blowholes which act as nostrils. When they blow water out of their blowholes a distinctive V-shaped cloud of vapour is produced largely by condensation when warm breath comes into contact with cooler air.
• Spyhopping An activity in which the whale pokes its head out of the water, possibly to take a look around.