The southern right whale is easy to identify from the calluses. Whether its an entertaining and informative boat tour or a relaxing sunset dinner cruise, these are the best knysna cruises around. Brydes whale these swift omnivores generally occur in small family groups of 56 and some populations are resident off our coast all year round. Ocean odyssey, offering close encounter whale watching and marine eco tours, is passionate about showcasing knysnas natural assets. The paddle cruiser is south africas only paddledriven vessel, offering a unique and unforgettable experience on the knysna lagoon. Their highly competent skippers possess indepth knowledge of this dynamic marine environment, ensuring an enlightening experience. Southern right whales migrate annually from their icy feeding grounds off antarctica to warmer. Dolphin discovery cruise 1 december to 31 may duration. The tours are mainly focused on the southern right whale, although other species such as. Lamberts bay, mosselbay, and knysna in the western cape province. Healthy populations of dolphins are to be found in almost all coastal regions and there are fantastic sightings to be had on any marine tour. Throughout the year pods of bottlenose dolphins of 30 to 50 strong routinely patrol up and down the coast just beyond the breakers.
Boat tours, knysna, southafrica boat tours photos and more. Find the best 7 day whale watching tours with tourradar. Knysna, a natural paradise of indigenous forests, tranquil lakes and endless beaches, is an adventurers paradise in the heart of the garden route. The knysna lagoon is one of the most stunning natural wonders along south africas garden routea glittering lagoon framed by the soaring cliffs of knysna heads. South africa whale watching tour and african safari zicasso. The best time of the year to do this tour is during the whale season from july to november. Nearby is the city of george which is the largest in the area. Doing this creates bubbles which form a tubular net. It is nestled between the shores of the pristine knysna estuary, the indian ocean and thousands of hectares of beautiful indigenous forest. Several humpbacks can come up through the bubble net at one time to feed. Any knysna tour guide will proudly proclaim the knysna heads as its most famed attraction, and the lagoon it encloses is a hotbed of aqua adventure from sea kayaking and boat charters to whale watching. This trip is available from 1 december to 31 tours read more. Knysna whale, dolphins, marine attractions marine tours knysna. Generally four whale species are encountered in the waters around knysna.
This is the ideal experience for local visitors and international tourists. Your support will go a long way in helping tour operators worldwide get back on their feet down the road. Whale watching tours depart from cape town and end at george airport. The whale gets in the centre of the bubble to eat the trapped prey.
This is done when the whale dives down and then swims in a spiral while releasing air from the blowholes. Our close encounter, boatbased whale watching tours and marine eco tours are perfect activities to add to any itinerary in knysna. The 10 best knysna cultural tours with photos tripadvisor. Take a boat cruise to get up close with whales and dolphins. Boatbased tours probably the best way to view whales and dolphins up close is from a boat. Ocean odysseys marine eco tour serves to highlight both the geological characteristics and the biodiversity of knysnas estuarine and marine environment. Dates are flexible and customizable for private departures.
The town nestles on the banks of the knysna lagoon, a protected marine reserve that is home to 200 species of fish including the rare knysna sea horse the tranquil waters of the lagoon are protected from the open sea by a striking sandstone. Knysna photo tours the whales tail have you ever wanted to go out and capture an image of a whale from close or even the elusive breach of a southern right whale. Please ask about our awesome tours we have to offer. Marine eco boat excursion trip through the knysna heads. They are the only ones with a permit to get close to the whales. Read tour offerings, itinerary, pricing and more at we, and third parties, use cookies for technical and analytical purposes, for marketing purposes and for integration with social media. Browse through the top recommended personal or custom tours in knysna, directly offered by local guides or local tour operators. I have partnered with knysna s only whale watching company, ocean odyssey to offer a specialist photographic activity getting that spectacular image. Cape town and george golf holiday luxury african safaris,south.
Note bring weather appropriate clothing windbreaker jacket, its often colder at sea than it is on land. Our close encounter, boatbased whale watching tours and marine ecotours are perfect activities to add to any itinerary in knysna. Aug 18, 2015 ocean odyssey holds the only boatbased whale watching permit in knysna and, as stef told me, this is the ideal place for the activity because, while the heads the knysna estuarys mouth do pose their challenges, theyre usually passable, and, because he departs from a walkon jetty in thesen harbour town the shopping precinct on. Knysna whale, dolphins, marine attractions marine tours.
It is the perfect start to the day in knysna in the esteemed company of a southern right whale. Elephants once roamed the magnificent tangled forests near. Experience of a lifetime contact us book now the experience the 2hr boat adventure starts and ends with an adrenelin beach home read more. So if you want a truly remarkable whale watching encounter, this is the only option. Whale watching in south africa home brand south africa. Best time for whale watching in south africa rhino africa. Sea fever both the yearning itself, and the poem of that name by john masefield i must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky strikes me often. The waters around knysna are very well known for spotting whales and dolphins, and also due to the many lagoons and the stunning coastal area, the boat tours are perhaps the best way to witness the natural beauty of knysna. About whale watching in knysna bamboo guest house blog. The town itself has high status as a veritable golfers paradise that gets even livelier around the festivals that it hosts through the year. The garden route 7 days tour 7 days encounters travel. There is simply no other whale watching experience in knysna that can compare to this one. Dolphin species to be found in south africa include bottlenose, humpback, common and dusky dolphins see whales and dolphins of south africa. Dolphin watching tours and boat charters are available in most coastal regions of south africa.
Knysna has so many stunning features, its indescribable. Ocean odysseys marine eco tour serves to highlight both the geological characteristics and the biodiversity of knysnas. Get upcloseandpersonal to marine mammals in their natural. Visit us in july, when its oyster festival time knysna is home to the knysna oyster festival. Followed by 2 nights exploring the very best wine estates and 2 nights along the the worlds best landbased whale watching capital, hermanus. Dec 25, 2016 there are boatbased tours, but for landbased viewing there is a whale watching tower at cape vidal and mpenjati.
African eagle day tours is your unique destination for sightseeing in southern africa. Whale tail knysna photo tours whale watching photography. Whale watching in knysna or plettenburg bay knysna forum. Mountain national park, garden route, tsitsikamma national park. Dominated by its beautiful lagoon and the spectacular knysna heads, which guard it from the sea, makes knysna is an attractive seaside town. Eco afrika tours south african tours safaris townships deep.
Cornelius was fantastic and the company the whale watch was chartered through did an excellent job whales all over the place and mostly right next to the boat the wine tours were just what we were looking for great wines great venues and cornelius also had a few stops on his own that were particularly scenic great day. Whale watching, marine ecotours, boat tours in knysna. Knysna close encounter whale watching tour knysna, south. It is also a good whale watching destination in south africa. Eco afrika tours is dedicated team of professionals who have endeavored since 1998 to offer the best experiences available we are passionate about africa, and who live and travel in this spectacular region, to bring you the finest holiday experiences money can buy. Boatbased whale watching, marine tours, sup and gonow electric bike hire in knysna, on the garden route of south africa ocean odyssey offers unforgettable marine adventures.
Embark on a closeencounter whale and dolphin watching tour with one of knysas only permitted closeencounter tour operators. Times are tough for the travel community right now. Set sail on your destinations toprated boat tours and cruises. Shark cage diving view the great white shark up close from a secure cage attached to the purposebuilt vessel. If you planning your south africa holiday, you simply cant go wrong with the garden route. Visit hermanus best land based whale watching venue in the world. Get upcloseandpersonal to marine mammals in their natural environment experience the thrill of watching humpback whales lobtailing, southern right whales breaching, dolphins jumping and seals playing, and be awed by greatwhite sharks. Welcome to african eagle day tours, the leading provider.
Found in all the oceans of the world, whales are members of the cetacea order of marine mammals, which also includes dolphins and porpoises. A vshaped spray and the sound of a great breath being expelled fill the crisp morning air. As the official whale watching permit holder, we can get closer to these aweinspiring ocean creatures than anyone else. These tours make for excellent teambuilding experiences, or are suited for small family groups. At least 37 species of whales and dolphins can be found in the. Stay 2 nights in knysna the jewel of the garden route.
Jan 15, 2016 our close encounter, boatbased whale watching tours and marine eco tours are perfect activities to add to any itinerary in knysna. Book online for the whale watching season and get a 10 % discount. Whale watching in knysna knysna whale watching trips. Take n2 to knysna, 3rd traffic light left waterfront drive follow till next traffic light, left again onto long street and continue onto thesen harbour town. South africa is considered one of the best destinations worldwide for watching marine mammals, whether from boats or land, with spectacular annual visits from southern right and humpback whales and enormous pods of dolphins yearround. The knysna section of the garden route national park is all about fun and relaxation our family friendly boat cruises and educationals are one of the top 10 things to do in knysna.
When we visited 15 years ago, the highlight of our trip was a whale watching cruise in plettenburg bay. Backpacker hostels or deluxe guesthousesboutique hotels meals. Gerickes point, swartvlei beach and myoli beach in sedgefield are all musts for those that want to spot whales in their natural habitat plettenberg bay has long beaches and a few elevated lookout points, from where the visiting cetaceans can be seen. Sep 18, 2017 hermanus, the whale capital, was ranked in the top 12 whale watching locations in the world by the world wildlife fund. Toothed whales odontoceti are predators eating a variety of marine wildlife, whereas baleen whales mysticeti have a filter called a baleen used to sieve tiny food particles from the water scientists estimate that during feeding season, larger baleen. All knysna hotels knysna hotel deals last minute hotels in knysna by hotel type by hotel class popular amenities popular knysna categories near airports. A trip to knysna is not complete without a cruise on the pristine knysna lagoon, home to the world famous knysna heads and many species of bird and marine life. Visit the robberg peninsula for some beautiful sights of southern rights, orcas, brydes, seals, and dolphins. Outside of whale season there is still every reason to take boat based tour. An adult female can grow up to 15 meters long and weigh 47 tonnes. Knysna adventures fun stuff to do in knysna experiences. The municipal area is bordered by the outeniqua mountains in the north and indian ocean in the south. Jan 24, 2018 bamboo, the guest house, just a few minutes from the knysna heads, is a perfect base for visiting whale watchers.
We are rated one of the top attractions on tripadvisor in the garden route. Is it best to go on one of the trips from hermanus, and what about staying there is it worth it the reason i ask is because well be staying in knysna for a few days and i came across a company called ocean safaris who are based out of plettenberg. Take a tour with us to discover cape town, the cape peninsula, take some of south africas finest wines, go. Ocean odyssey knysna 2020 all you need to know before. At the circle, look for parking on the right we are directly opposite the true beaked whale sculpture. Things to do in knysna ocean odyssey whale watching in knysna. Whale watching from knysna by ocean odyssey garden route.
Please keep in mind that this tour can be tailormade by speaking to one of our travel specialists. The sea is another option for adventures and knysna is a great base for whale watching or deep sea fishing. Join us onboard the oyster boat for a memorable, leisurely 75 minute long cruise to the famous knysna heads and back we also pass through the featherbed bay which offers calm. Bamboo, the guest house, just a few minutes from the knysna heads, is a perfect base for visiting whale watchers.
Knysna tour the quaint town of knysna forms part of the 157 000 hectares proclaimed garden route national park. Ocean odyssey whale watching knysna south africa africa. Ocean odyssey, offering close encounter whale watching and marine eco tours, is passionate about showcasing knysna s natural assets. Dolphins are found the year round and dolphin watching tours and charters are available in most coastal areas. Whale watching in knysna or plettenburg bay knysna. Download this tours pdf brochure and start tour planning offline.
Look out for the whale s blow because boatbased whale watching trips will bring you within 50 feet of a whale, or even closer. The boat carries a maximum of 12 passengers, and the 90minute to 2hour tours depart at 10. Cape town, cape agulhas, route 62 wine tasting, oudtshoorn, cango caves, easy canoeing in wilderness np, knysna heads viewpoint, sedgefield beaches, tsitsikamma np, big 5 safari in addo elephant park. In addition, they employ several spotters full time. Watch as whales come within metres of the shores, and join in on the festivities of the annual hermanus whale festival this year held on. Ocean odyssey offers unforgettable marine adventures. Officially running along the n2 from cape town to mossel bay and then along the coast to port elizabeth, this tour will give you extra stops along the way to make sure you get the absolute best from your south africa road trip. The knysna municipal area covers a total surface 10 59 square kilometer. Take a boat cruise to seal island to get up close to the seal colony. Step aboard a boat with an experienced captain and travel to the waters just off the south african coastline. It stretches from the swartevlet in the sedgefield in the west to harkerville in the east. Whale watching in knysna or plettenburg bay knysna message. Knysna charters offer boating tours, sup hire and kayak hire on the famous knysna lagoon, knysna heads and the knysna estuary. Boat tours in knysna, knysna overview one of the best things to do to explore amazing views of the ocean and the lagoons.
The southern right whale is easy to identify from the calluses found on its head. Julie journeys off the beaten path adventures, hidden. Take a bike tour along the lagoon, into the town or go further afield on a mountain bike into the surrounding indigenous forests. Knysna tourism knysna hotels knysna vacation rentals knysna packages flights to knysna knysna attractions knysna travel forum knysna photos knysna map knysna guide. On this tour, set sail across the lagoon, explore the knysna estuary, and head out into the ocean to brentononsea and buffalo bay. Relish the rich natural beauty and diversity that south africa has to offer, and enjoy the finest marine viewing experiences. We offer three daily departures and a fleet of ocean going vessels. Knysna, being the natural haven it is for all sorts of wildlife, plays host to a spectacular array of marine mammals.
W offer private tours and small groups families, friends,couples and solo travelers with a minimum of 2 guests and a max of 7. Things to do in knysna ocean odyssey whale watching in. All our day tours are conducted by qualified garden route satourtheta guides in one of our fully comprehensively covered and registered. Dominated by its beautiful lagoon and the spectacular knysna heads, which guard it from the sea, makes knysna is an. For a unique cruise and dinning experiencewith a modern, hip and trendy twistin the evening 18h15 departure cruises. Whale watching, marine ecotours, boat tours in knysna, garden.
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