Cape Town Whale Watching




We offer licensed Whale & Dolphin watching cruises all year round from the quaint fishing harbour of Kalk Bay, only 30 minutes away from the city centre.
There are two seasons that offer two different and exciting opportunities.
The Southern Right Whale season. is from July to November when the Southern Right Whales migrate to False Bay to mate, calve or simply get away from the icy Antarctic winter.
During these months we offer our Southern Right Encounter Cruise, giving you an up close & personal interaction with these magnificent mammals, accompanied by an informative commentary. Up to 96 whales have been counted within False Bay during these months often choosing to come right up to the vessel.
From December to June we focus on Humpback whales, Brydes whales & Dolphins which frequently visit False Bay over this period and also include our permanent residents - sea birds, Cape Fur seals and possible sightings of Great White sharks as they patrol the coastline. We call this our False Bay Explorer Cruise as you’ll be amazed at the abundance of marine life the bay has to offer.
There is only one permit holder for Area 4W (False Bay) authorized to approach & interact with whales alongside the vessel.
TYPE OF CRUISE |
DURATION |
RACK RATE |
SCHEDULE |
|
Southern Right Cruise |
2 hours |
R650.00 |
R400.00 |
9h30, 13h30 |
False Bay Explorer Cruise |
2 hours |
R650.00 |
R400.00 |
9h30, 13h30 |
Special departure times welcome for group & private charters.
Note:
- Sightings of course cannot be guaranteed, but you can expect an honest assessment of what you are likely to see by calling or emailing us.
- Please look at the special seasonal chart below to give you a percentage likelihood of sighting your favorite marine animal.
- Our routes aren’t specific; your skipper will be guided by weather conditions and many years of local knowledge to ensure that you enjoy the very best seasonal eco experience that False Bay has to offer.
- Please dress warmly and don’t forget the sun block.
- For those who suffer from motion sickness, please take a tablet at least 1 hour before departure.
Passengers partake in the cruise entirely at their own risk.
Large marine species seasonality table
| SPECIES | MONTH | |||||||||||||
J |
F |
M |
A |
M |
J |
J |
A |
S |
O |
N |
D |
|||
Cape Fur Seal |
Arctocephalus pusillus |
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|
Sub-antarctic Fur Seal |
Arctocephalus tropicalis |
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |||
Minke Whale |
Balaenoptera acutorostrata |
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|
Bryde's Whale |
Balaenoptera edeni |
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|
Humpback Whale |
Megaptera novaeangliae |
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|
Southern Right Whale |
Balaena glacialis |
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|
Dusky Dolphin |
Lagenorhynchus obscurus |
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|
Bottle-nosed Dolphin |
Tursiops truncatus |
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|
Common Dolphin |
Delphinus delphis |
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| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |||
Great white Shark |
Carcharodon carcharias |
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African penguin |
Spheniscus demersus |
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Almost Definite (more than a 90% chance) |
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Probable (from 50 - 90% chance) |
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Possible (from 20 - 50% chance) |
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Unlikely / Vagrant (less than a 20% chance) |
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or contact us info@scubasouhtafrica.com







