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CAPE WHALE WATCHING COAST |
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Cape Whale Watching Coast Accommodation, Cape Whale Watching Coast Businesses,Cape Whale Watching Coast History and Cape Whale Watching Coast interesting Information on Hermanus, Gansbaai, Cape Agulhas, Witsand and Gordons Bay for the Southern Right Whale
GORDONS BAY HERMANUS GANSBAAI CAPE AGULHAS WITSAND
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Close to the very tip of Africa, just outside Cape Town, you will find the Cape Whale Coast. This pristine stretch of the South African coastline runs from Rooiels in the west to Quoin Point in the East and is flanked by rugged mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The Southern Right Whale
The Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis) is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Around 12,000 Southern Right Whales are spread throughout the southern part of the Southern Hemisphere.
One behavior unique to the Southern Right Whale, known as sailing, is that of using their elevated flukes to catch the wind. It appears to be a form of play and is commonly seen off the coast of Argentina and South Africa.
The Southern Right Whale have made Hermanus, South Africa one of the world centers for whale watching. During the winter months (June to November), Southern Right Whales come so close to the shoreline that visitors can watch whales from strategically-placed hotels.Hermanus also has two boat based whale watching operators. The town employs a "whale crier" (cf. town crier) to walk through the town announcing where whales have been seen. Southern Right Whales can also be watched at other winter breeding grounds. http://en.wikipedia.org
GORDONS BAY - (For Gordons Bay Accommodation go to Gordons Bay Accommodation ) Gordon's Bay is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, close to Strand. It is situated on the northeastern corner of False Bay about 50 km from Cape Town to the south of the N2 (South Africa) national road and is named after Robert Jacob Gordon (1743-1795), the Dutch explorer of Scottish descent.
Gordon's Bay is the smallest of three towns in the Helderberg region, so named after the Helderberg Mountain which is part of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains which dwarf the locality on two sides. Gordon's Bay was originally named "Fish Hoek", many years before the town of the same name, located on the western side of False Bay, was founded. Evidence of this can be seen on the outside wall of the local Post Office.
The older part of Gordon's Bay is host to the South African Navy's Naval College, an officer training center located adjacent to the old harbour and yacht marina.
Above the harbour on the mountainside is a giant anchor and the letters "GB". Many think that this stands for Gordon's Bay, but in fact it stands for General Botha which was the original name of the Naval station in the town.
HERMANUS - (For Hermanus Accommodation go to Hermanus Accommodation ) Hermanus (originally called Hermanuspietersfontein) is on the southern coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is famous as a place from which to watch whales during the southern winter and spring and is a popular retirement town.
The whales can be seen from the cliffs in the town centre from as early as June. They were once hunted locally, but are now protected. The Old Harbour Museum contains several exhibitions which explain the whaling history of Hermanus
Hermanus hosts an annual whale festival at the end of September, when the Southern Right whales come into the local bay during the mating season. Prior to this main whale festival a "Kalfiefees" (or "Calf Festival") is held, to welcome the first whales (usually in August). Grotto Beach is the largest beach in Hermanus and has also been proclaimed a "Blue Flag" beach which ensures its preservation as a world heritage site. Other beaches include Voelklip, Onrus, Kammabaai and Langbaai.
GANSBAAI - (For Gansbaai Accommodation go to Gansbaai Accommodation )
Gansbaai (Afrikaans: "bay of geese," sometimes referred to as Gans Bay) is a fishing village and popular tourist destination in the Overberg District Municipality, Western Cape, South Africa. It is known for its dense population of Great White Sharks and as a good whale-watching location.
Gansbaai at De Kelders has one of the oldest associations with man in the world. At the time when Neanderthal-man was still the dominant species of "homo" in Europe, a group of modern people (homo sapiens sapiens) had already made Klipgat Cave their home.
The Southern right whale can be seen in large numbers, especially from the rocky shores of De Kelders on Walker Bay. This is also the site of the old whaling station. The look-out platform and the steps leading to it are still standing.
Danger Point was the place where the HMS Birkenhead was wrecked in 1852. The Birkenhead became famous because it was the first shipwreck where the "women-and-children-first" rule was applied. All women and children were saved, most of the men perished.
CAPE AGULHAS - (For Cape Agulhas Accommodation go to Cape Agulhas Accommodation )
Cape Agulhas (Portuguese: Cabo das Agulhas, "Cape of Needles") is the geographic southern tip of the African continent, commonly thought to be the Cape of Good Hope, and according to popular mythology is the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Historically, the cape has been known to sailors as a major hazard on the traditional clipper route and is sometimes regarded as one of the great capes.
Agulhas is a coastal village in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and the southernmost settlement on the mainland of Africa. It is situated at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa.
Although many believe that Cape Point, which is further north, is where the two oceans meet, they actually meet at Cape Agulhas. The Agulhas Current is a strong ocean current known for its rogue waves. The lighthouse at Cape Agulhas was built in homage to the Pharos of Alexandria – one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Still working, it's a well known point of visit for travellers.
WITSAND - (For Witsand Accommodation go to Witsand Accommodation )
Witsand is situated at the mouth of the mighty Breede River and is a popular holiday destination with a difference. It is situated 300km from Cape Town at the mouth of the Breede River along the Garden Route.
The central feature of the Malgas/Witsand area is the magnificent Breede River. It is one of the largest, most navigable rivers in South Africa and is rich in diverse species of fish and bird life. The Breede River is recognised as one of the best fishing estuaries in the country with tidal action that reaches 60 km upstream. The river is also ideally suited to a range of water sports
Witsand has the largest concentration of Southern Right Whales on the South African coast, growing at an annual rate of 7%. The officila whale count done from a helicopter in October 2002 revealed 117 adults and 49 calves in St Sebastian Bay. On a good day up to 50 are visible from the shore
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