South Africa · WHALE WATCHING

The 15 Best Whale Watching Trips in South Africa

15 tours  ·  from $49 a head

Southern rights calve in Walker Bay from June to November, close enough to Hermanus to watch from the cliff path. These 15 compare boat-based trips and the land alternatives, priced, with the months each actually runs.

Hermanus: Boat Based Whale Watching Experience - The ride across Walker Bay
Cruises & Boat Tours, Hermanus & Gansbaai Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Hermanus: Boat Based Whale Watching Experience

1.Boat Based Whale Watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,180 reviews · 1h 30m · from $93Our pick

See whales, dolphins, seals, and seabirds from a comfortable boat in Hermanus, with expert guidance and wide views across Walker Bay.

“A great trip out seeing the whales. 2 hours was the perfect amount of time, and we managed to catch many breaching whales at sunset too. Would highly recommend!”

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Hermanus: Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip - Before boarding at the Whale Shack
Cruises & Boat Tours, Dolphin Watching, Hermanus & Gansbaai Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Hermanus: Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip

2.Whale and Dolphin Watching Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 807 reviews · 2 hours · from $98

Review of Hermanus whale and dolphin cruise with Southern Right Charters, covering sightings, guides, boat comfort, price, safety, and useful tips.

“Best Whale watching in the world. We saw lots of Southern Right Whales in Hermanus' Walker Bay. You will even see them from the Coast. Beautiful place and professional company with good Crew a Guide.”

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Whale, Dolphin & Penguin Island Cruise - Dolphins beside the bow
Boat Tours in Port Elizabeth, Cruises & Boat Tours, Dolphin Watching, Penguin Colony Tours, Port Elizabeth & Addo Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Whale, Dolphin & Penguin Island Cruise

3.Whale, Dolphin & Penguin Island Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 687 reviews · from $185Top rated

Cruise Algoa Bay from Port Elizabeth for whales, dolphins, penguins, seals, and expert conservation insight on a small, eco-minded catamaran.

“Great tour. It was a really rainy day but the crew made it an enjoyable experience. We saw lots of dolphins as well as penguins. Highly recommend this tour for all.”

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From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip - Why Gansbaai and De Kelders matter
Boat Tours in Cape Town, Cape Town Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

From Cape Town: Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip

4.Hermanus Whale Watching Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 378 reviews · 7 hours · from $221

Review of the Cape Town to Gansbaai whale tour, with Southern Right Whales, dolphins, seals, transport details, costs, and practical tips.

“The day was incredible, it was sunny and a little cold! We saw a lot of whale, we were lucky! The driver was very good and kind. All was according to the schedule. If there is something I would have like was to return by the coast road.”

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Plettenberg Bay: Whale Watching Boat Cruise - The first hour: reading the bay for whales
Boat Tours in the Garden Route, Cruises & Boat Tours, Garden Route Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Plettenberg Bay: Whale Watching Boat Cruise

5.Whale Watching Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 362 reviews · 2 hours · from $49Best value

Ride a 400-horsepower cat-style boat from Plettenberg Bay for whale, dolphin, seal, and seabird sightings from June to November.

“Loved the entire experience. We got what we paid for and I would definitely recommend doing the whale watching tour”

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Whale Watching from Gansbaai - Why the 25-person limit matters
Hermanus & Gansbaai Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Whale Watching from Gansbaai

6.Whale Watching from Gansbaai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 327 reviews · from $112

Review of Gansbaai whale watching with Ivanhoe Sea Safaris, including wildlife, boat size, price, timing, practical tips, and cancellation rules.

“We did Whale Watching with Ivanhoe Safaris. It was not a nice experience. Approximately 15 drunk Russians sceaming every time we saw the whales coming out of the water. The guide did not tell them to shut up! The boat was smelly from petro, no drinks except water. Read more”

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Knysna: Close Encounter Whale Watching Tour by Boat - How the whale spotting system works
Boat Tours in the Garden Route, Cruises & Boat Tours, Garden Route Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

Knysna: Close Encounter Whale Watching Tour by Boat

7.Close Encounter Whale Watching Tour by Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 207 reviews · 2 hours · from $113

Cruise from Knysna through the Heads to spot humpback whales, dolphins, seals, and more on a small-group two-hour ocean tour.

“So much fun. The captains were great and even though we had rough water it was so much fun and we quickly saw a group of whales and followed them. Such a great experience! Highly recommend visiting”

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Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus - The briefing before you board
Cruises & Boat Tours, Hermanus & Gansbaai Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Boat Based Whale Watching from Hermanus

From Cape Town: Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour - Gordon’s Bay and the 1950s Pitstop
Cape Town Tours, Full-Day, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

From Cape Town: Full Day Guided Hermanus and Whale Tour

Gansbaai: Whale Watching Trip by Boat - Two hours along the cliffs
Boat Tours in the Garden Route, Cruises & Boat Tours, Garden Route Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Gansbaai: Whale Watching Trip by Boat

10.Whale Watching Trip by Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 127 reviews · 2 hours · from $146

Cruise from Gansbaai along De Kelders to see southern right whales, dolphins, seals and more on a small, uncrowded boat.

“Once in a lifetime experience 😍 Had a great guide, perfect communication before the tour and was so blessed to see the incredible whales! Thanks for this opportunity 😍”

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From Cape Town: Full Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour - The morning ride from Cape Town
Cape Town Tours, Full-Day, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

From Cape Town: Full-Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour

11.Full-Day Hermanus Whale Watching Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 119 reviews · 1 day · from $120

Watch Southern Right Whales near Hermanus, visit coastal towns and gardens, and enjoy Cape scenery on a small-group Cape Town day tour.

“Nette Tour, nur sollte die Whale Watching Boat Tour mit eingebunden werden. Wale waren vom Ufer zu sehen, allerdings ist der Blick vom Boot deutlich eindrucksvoller. Wenn man den Tag investiert, scheint das komplette Programm sinnvoller, zumal der reine Landausflug deutlich günstiger mit dem Mietwagen möglich wäre.”

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From Cape Town: Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus and Gansbaai - The first break at Grabouw and Peregrine Farm Stall
Cape Town Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Whale Watching

From Cape Town: Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus and Gansbaai

12.Whale Watching Tour in Hermanus and Gansbaai

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 110 reviews · 2 hours · from $249

Travel from Cape Town to Gansbaai for whale watching, coastal views, penguins, Hermanus, and a farm stall stop with a local guide.

“I had a great time with Aretha. Saw lots of delphins and Southern Right whales. Couldn’t be any happier. Definitely one of the highlights of my adventure in South Africa.”

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Whale Watching Walking Tours (Land-Based) - from JUNE 2025 - Five to seven viewpoints by private vehicle
Hermanus & Gansbaai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Whale Watching

Whale Watching Walking Tours (Land-Based) – from JUNE 2025

13.Whale Watching Walking Tours (Land-Based) – from JUNE 2025

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $57

Watch Hermanus whales from quiet coastal paths with private guide Percy, museum entry, and air-conditioned transport between five to seven viewpoints.

“It was great meeting Percy, he explained lots of interesting things about whales and sealife in Hermanus and took us to the places where spots are more frequent. We spotted whales from different points of the coast and at the end of the toRead more”

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Plettenberg Bay: Whale-Watching Cruise - Choosing between the coastal and offshore routes
Boat Tours in the Garden Route, Cruises & Boat Tours, Garden Route Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Plettenberg Bay: Whale-Watching Cruise

14.Whale-Watching Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 65 reviews · 1h 30m · from $77

Search for whales, dolphins, seals, and seasonal sharks on a thrilling 90-minute surf launch cruise from Plettenberg Bay.

“It was a very exciting experience The guide was great. He explained a lot, and it showed a lot. it was a really great experience”

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Whale Watching Knysna - Close Encounter Experience Ocean Odyssey - Checking in at Thesen Island
Garden Route Tours, Tour Reviews, Whale Watching

Whale Watching Knysna – Close Encounter Experience Ocean Odyssey

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