Walker Bay Whale Facts at a Glance
A quick-reference guide to the bay and the whales that make Hermanus famous, useful for planning a visit or simply satisfying curiosity while watching from the Cliff Path. Southern Right Whales get their name from 19th-century whalers, who considered them the “right” whale to hunt: slow-moving, buoyant, and rich in oil. They have no dorsal fin, usually the fastest way to tell them apart from other species at a distance, and their heads carry rough, pale patches of skin called callosities, arranged in a pattern as individual as a fingerprint. Adults can reach well over ten metres long, yet in Walker Bay’s calm, sheltered water they come close enough to watch a mother teach her calf to breach, roll, and lift a fluke, all without a boat, and often without moving from a bench on the path.
What’s in this guide
About Walker Bay
- Walker Bay is a wide, sheltered inlet on South Africa’s southern coast, curving between Hermanus and the Danger Point peninsula near Gansbaai.
- Its shape breaks the swell of the open ocean, creating calmer, shallower water close to shore.
- This shelter is precisely what makes it attractive to Southern Right Whales for calving; newborn calves have limited blubber and struggle in rough, exposed seas.
- The bay is protected as part of a marine conservation area, with regulated approach distances for boats to minimise disturbance to whales, particularly mothers with calves.
About Southern Right Whales
Length: Adults typically measure 13–17 metres.
Weight: Up to around 60 tonnes.
No dorsal fin: A key identifying feature that separates them from Humpback and Bryde’s Whales.
V-shaped blow: Caused by two widely spaced blowholes, visible from a considerable distance.
Callosities: Rough, raised patches of skin on the head, unique to each whale and used by researchers to identify and track specific animals over years.
Diet: Filter feeders that consume tiny crustaceans called copepods and krill, though they largely fast during their months in Walker Bay, relying on reserves built up while feeding near Antarctica.
Lifespan: Southern Right Whales can live 50 years or more.
Behaviour: Known for being unusually curious and approachable compared to many large whale species, sometimes coming close to boats and swimmers of their own accord.
Population and Conservation
Southern Right Whales were hunted to the brink of extinction in the 19th and early 20th centuries; their name comes from historically being considered the “right” whale to hunt, as they were slow, floated when killed, and yielded valuable oil and baleen. International protection since the mid-20th century has allowed numbers to recover steadily, and Walker Bay’s role as a calving nursery has made it one of the most closely watched Southern Right Whale populations in the world.
The Season at a Glance
- June: First whales arrive from Antarctic feeding grounds
- July: Numbers build; mating behaviour common
- August–September: Peak calving; mother-and-calf pairs abundant
- October: Peak season; highest overall whale numbers
- November: Numbers begin tapering as whales prepare to leave
- Early December: Most whales have departed for the return migration south
Walker Bay Whale Facts FAQ’s
How many Southern Right Whales visit Walker Bay each season?
Numbers vary year to year, but Walker Bay hosts one of the largest seasonal concentrations of Southern Right Whales anywhere in the world during peak months.
Why don't Southern Right Whales have a dorsal fin?
It’s simply a species characteristic; their smooth, unbroken back is one of the easiest ways to tell them apart from Humpback or Bryde’s Whales at a distance.
How close do whales come to shore in Walker Bay?
At certain points along the Cliff Path, whales have been observed as close as a few metres from the rocks, though distances vary daily.
What is a callosity?
A callosity is a rough, raised patch of skin on a Southern Right Whale’s head, unique to each individual and used by researchers as a natural fingerprint for identification.
Are Southern Right Whales dangerous to swimmers or boats?
No, they’re generally regarded as gentle and unusually curious, though regulated distances exist to protect the whales rather than out of concern for human safety.
