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Trip Information

Whale Watching Trips

What You Should Bring

What You Could See

Trip Bookings

Trip Facts #1

Whale Watching Trips (June To December)

Our whale watching trip take place from July to December however, should the whales change their migration schedule (arrive early and leave later) we will change our schedule accordingly.

Whale Facts #1

The Southern Right Whale is the most renown of all the whales in South Africa.

When whaling was legal, these whales were thought of as the “right” whales to hunt; they move slowly, float to the surface when killed and have a high yield of oil as well as a very mellifluous baleen.

These whales were hunted ruthlessly and today a mere 10% of the original populations of these magnificent creatures have survived.

Welcome to Ivanhoe – Boat Based Whale Watching in Hermanus, South Africa

is universally regarded as the leading boat-based company in South Africa.  We also boast one of the limited permits allocated country wide.  We specialize in Boat Based and we pride ourselves in offering a uniquely personalized service to all our clients

We operate in Area 6 of which is celebrated as the best location from which to view the magnificent .  Our guests are looked after in lavish style by our fully qualified, proficient and registered whale guides whose only duty is to make your trip as memorable as possible. The safety of our guests is paramount and we have all-encompassing public liability insurance.

Area 6 of Walker Bay has the town of Hermanus on its Northern shore and the town of on its Southern shore.  The Ivanhoe launches from the quaint fishing harbor of Gansbaaie, from there we travel along the Cliffs of and on towards Plaat beach. is a beautiful, scenic 35-minute drive from Hermanus and a two-hour drive from Cape Town.

Our goal is to ensure that all our passengers have a memorable and fun experience and above all, savor the time they spend with us.  We aim to provide interesting and educational information about our bay and its inhabitants.  While every effort is made to ensure memorable encounters with the animals, the unpredictability of wildlife makes it impossible to guarantee sightings and interactions with 100% certainty.

We have a select license which allows us to approach the Southern up to a distance of 50m at no wake speed.  We then stop the boat and allow the whales to control the nature and propinquity of the encounter.  Fortunately, whales are curious by nature and most times will swim up to and all around the boat.  The welfare of the animals is of utmost importance and while we want our passengers to have a truly unforgettable experience, we will not endanger the wellbeing of these majestic sea creatures in any way.

However, on trips where no animals that we were targeting are seen, we will issue our passengers a “RETRIP VOUCHER”. These vouchers have NO EXPIRY DATE and will be reissued as many times as it takes for you to sight the animal you were looking for.

GPS Coordinates

-34.58391,19.348144

Get Directions Here