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The weather is warming up, making it the perfect time to explore our beautiful city. There is nothing quite like seeing the Mother City from the skies. With a better vantage point from high above mountains, marine conservation photographer Jean Tresfon might just have the best view of us all. He enjoyed a flight up the West Coast on Tuesday [September 15] and documented the stunning scenery from up above.

Flying on a private helicopter, Tresfon adventured throughout the West Coast, from Postberg to Jakkelsfontein.

“Waking up to a crisp, cold and clear Cape Town morning on Tuesday I decided to welcome myself back home with a flight up the West Coast, both to check if there were any whales around and to admire the Spring flowers at Postberg without having to sit in any queues. After going wheels up, Derick Burger and I headed for the coast at Big Bay and soon spotted the first whale, a lone southern right in some seriously sediment laden and stirred up water,” he explains.

“We climbed up high to stay clear of restricted airspace as we headed north, routing over Koeberg nuclear power station before dropping down again and following the coast to Yzerfontein. From Grotto Bay to Jakkelsfontein there were several heaviside dolphins playing in the big surf and plenty of pelicans in transit between Dassen Island and the mainland.

“Flying slightly out to sea to get a shot of the pelicans I could see quite a few small bait balls and it wasn’t long before I spotted a properly big brydes whale, a superb sight from above as it swam just under the surface.”

Next up was Yzerfontein, where they viewed the military airspace and then on to Jacobsbaai, seeing Vondeling Island and Postberg on the way.

“After a quick pitstop at Saldanha airfield we turned for home and flew down the eastern side of the lagoon, passing over the giant industrial machinery of the ore terminal and on to the ever-scenic town of Langebaan.

“Following the spine of the mountains on the west side of Darling we meandered back over a lush green carpet of farm fields, dotted here and there by a vibrant burst of colour from flowers of every hue, before landing back at our home base with a serious case of post aerial glow!”

View more of Tresfon’s stunning shots on his Facebook page: Jean Tresfon – Marine Conservation Photographer.

Picture/s: Jean Tresfon

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