October 20-21
Hello everyone!
The largest mammal.
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| Whale, whale, whale...what do we have here? |
The heaviest mammal.
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| The fluke or tail helps to power the whale |
The mammal which causes an almighty splash.
Welcome to Hermanus, an otherwise sleepy South African
coastal village which hosts some very special visitors between June and
November each year.
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| As the crow flies, Hermanus is about 300km west of Mossel Bay |
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| Hermanus is the main stopping point on the Whale Coast Route |
Southern Right whales – so called as they were the ‘right’
ones to poach back in the day – are huge. Growing up to 17 metres in length,
one adult whale is almost equivalent to a lane at a bowling alley.
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| A model of a southern right whale |
They make their way up from the Antarctic each winter
(remember winter is June/July down here) to find shallow waters in which to
mate.
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| Southern rights are also found in Australia and South America |
We had been told by many South Africans that as it was the
tail-end of the season, we may not see a whale. After arriving in Hermanus, we
dumped our bags and headed to Walker’s Bay to see if we would have any luck.
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| The picturesque Walker's Bay |
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| Being quite far off shore, binoculars are often needed |
Whales are huge; however, in comparison to the size of the
oceans in which they reside, it can often be like finding the needle in the
proverbial haystack. Add in the fact that their colour is generally black or a
very dark blue, save for the white callosities on their heads, and you’ll come
to realise that seeing a whale is not a guarantee.
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| A whale, captured with a long lens on a phone |
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| That small white mark is the whale, showing the distance between human and whale |
It makes it that much more special when you do see one.
About ten minutes after we started scouring the sea with binoculars, we noticed
a commotion amongst a group of people on a nearby rock.
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| The vast majority of tourists come to Hermanus to watch the whales from shore |
The reason for the excitement was this…
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| Hermanus is apparently the best place to whale watch, from the shore, in the world |
In the distance to our left, a female whale had surfaced.
Just briefly, but enough for us to be sure we were staring at a whale.
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| Part of a possibly seventeen metre body emerging from the ocean |
It’s important to remember that they aren’t here for our
entertainment. They will come up for air when necessary, not on a clockwork
rotation. Taking photos of them can thus
be a challenge, particularly when they are so far away.
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| The whales are near the surface when hunting for food |
The Law of Sod naturally meant that the whale started to
move away from the rock as soon as we got there and had a decent view.
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| The colder water supplies a higher nutrient level of food |
Luckily for us, the adult whale turned around and started making
her presence more visible, and much closer to the shore.
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| The fluke of the whale, metres from shore |
She firstly did this by plunging into the cold water, with
her tail being flicked up so that it would enter vertically.
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| Whales come up to South Africa to mate |
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| A Southern Right can have up to seven mates |
The whale then disappeared from sight. Pairs of eyes were
fixed intently on the whale’s entry point into the Atlantic. We all knew what
might happen next.
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| Looking for the whake |
Without any warning, the colossal whale soared into the late
afternoon sky, seemingly hanging in the air for a brief moment before crashing
back to sea and once again disappearing from view.
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| Whales jumping out of the water is known as 'breaching' |
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| Researchers now believe this is a form of communication |
I was caught off-guard first three times, before finally
capturing the moment on camera. This may have been because I was in such awe;
how can a whale which weighs 40 tons propel itself out of the water?
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| Attempt one: whale off to the list |
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| Attempt three (or four or five): timing |
We tracked the whale around the craggy bay, watching her
soar and splash.
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| Breaching is for distant communication, which makes sense as no other adult whales were present |
Finally, one last tail flick and she was gone. Out of sight,
but certainly not out of mind. An incredibly brutal, beautiful animal to
witness.
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| Whales will live between 50 and 100 years |
Whales aren’t the only animals to be found in Hermanus. Many
of the jagged rocks on the Western Cape are home to dassies, which look like
gophers but are actually the closest living relative to the elephant. I’m not
sure how, either.
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| Dassie...elephant... |
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| A lot of their activity revolves around sleeping and eating |
Further down the coast, at Betty’s Bay, a large colony of
penguins can be found. The famous colony is located nearer Cape Town, at
Boulder’s Beach. The upshot of this is that far fewer people visit the penguins
at Betty’s Bay, making your time there much more pleasurable and relaxed.
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| The braying noise made by these cuties has led them to be dubbed the 'jackass' penguin |
Seeing all of these animals up close has been a highlight of
this trip, particularly the Southern Right whale. I was really excited about
seeing a whale; the experience certainly didn’t disappoint.
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| Walker's Bay |
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| Free Willy |
Love you all,
Matt
