ZA2009

Mark and I rode a crazy, bounce-and-drop-till-you-puke ride which was really quite tame. But, from the top of the ride (maybe 20 m in the air), we could see a whale very close to shore. Well, Mark saw the whale: I thought it was a rock. 

After our ride, we walked over to the rocky shore of Walker Bay to take a look. It was amazing. This photo shows just how close it was. We could see the callosities on its head.

Hermanus is known as the best place in the world for land-based whale watching, and now we know why. The Southern Right whales come to mate and calve in these waters. The bay is a protected wildlife area for them, and the numbers are increasing. It is astounding to see these animals, which are as big as some submarines, so close to shore.

While we were watching, the number of onlookers steadily increased until it was nearly standing room only on the banks.