Hermanus is a beautiful seaside resort situated in the Overberg region of the Cape South Coast, a mere 90-minute drive from Cape Town. Known as the heart of the whale coast, Hermanus offers the best land based whale watching in the world.

Once hunted almost to extinction, Southern Right Whales now frequent the shores of this rapidly growing town every year. They start arriving in May in order to calf in the shallow water, to raise their young or to mate. Peak times for seeing whales daily is from July to November, tailing off in December. Bryde's whales live year-round on the continental shelf and occasionally, other species of whales and dolphins can be seen. The coastal cliff paths stretches from one side of town to the other, offering whale watchers unlimited opportunities to get as close as 20 m to these gentle giants.

View from the coastal cliff path

Hermanus is also proudly home to the only Whale Crier in the World and the sound of his kelp horn has become a familiar part of town activities during "whale season". As soon as the whales start arriving, Wilson Salakusana, who took over as whale crier in 1998, can be seen along the cliff paths where he looks out for whales and informs visitors of their whereabouts. Wilson blows different horn ‘Morse’ codes that refers to the different points along the coastline where whales have been spotted. The key to these codes, as well as the number of whales spotted at each location, are noted on the sandwich board he wears as part of his unique outfit.

The climate in Hermanus is mild and although Winter is the rainy season, there are many fine days with a special freshness in the air. During May to August, the average temperature is 14°C. Summer temperature averages at 26,4°C and offers visitors great opportunity to sunbathe or swim on one of the many beaches in the area.

Southern Right Whales visit Hermanus annually

Grotto Beach is one of only a few beaches in South Africa that has been awarded blue flag status for every year, since 2002. A Blue Flag is an international annual award given to beaches that meet certain standards.

While the Blue Flag helps to educate the community about the need to care for our coastline, it also gives assurance that the beaches are clean, safe and environmentally friendly.