You can’t go wrong when visiting Walker Bay during whale season. Visitors are spoilt with the best land based whale watching from Clarence Drive to Pearly Beach. The whales move along the coastline and are visible from the shore. The whales will stay on the Cape Whale Coast till end November and visitors are invited to experience this wonder of nature.
Gansbaai launched the Cape’s first litter trapping storm water net. It was introduced during #PlasticFreeJuly and will contribute towards a cleaner Cape Whale Coast.
Winter Warmers on the Cape Whale Coast
The Proteas are blooming and visitors can enjoy nature’s splendour while dining in the Hermanus or Stanford vineyards or at the many restaurants close to the Walker Bay’s edge.
Early morning Cape Whale Coast hikes provide a different source of inspiration. Fernkloof Nature Reserve’s 60 kilometres of hiking paths in the Kleinrivier Mountains in Hermanus and Stanford’s Phillipskop Mountain Reserve has a number of routes including one that leads to the areas only rock art illustrations. In Kleinmond there are weekly hiking groups which can be joined for time out exercising in nature.
Visiting juniors are in for a treat at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary in Gansbaai where you can observe the daily rituals of penguins from behind a one way window. Cape Nature, in partnership with Dyer Island Conservation Trust, has embarked on a programme to install artificial penguin nests on Dyer Island and Stoney Point. This provides shelter to eggs, parents, and chicks – the nests project was approved by WWF.
Walk along the many cliff paths of the Cape Whale Coast and spot the Southern Right Whales breaching in Walker Bay. From Clarence Drive to Pearly Beach the whales move along and are visible from the shore.
The heritage Village Stanford is a foodie’s delight, ideal for a weekend getaway. Explore the quaint village’s antique stores, restaurants and coffee shops. Cultural attractions such as Phillipskop Mountain Reserve and Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary offer educational excursions while the Klein River is good for kayaking. No visit is complete without sampling some of South Africa’s awarded Klein River cheeses.
For more information on the Cape Whale Coast visit: https://www.whalecoast.info/
Picture: Supplied
