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4. THE RESOURCE AND MANAGEMENT OF BOAT-BASED
WHALE WATCHING IN SOUTH AFRICA
4.1 The whale resource
South Africa supports a relatively high cetacean diversity, with over 19 species having been recorded
in southern African waters (Stuart and Stuart 1988). Only 5 cetacean species, including 3 baleen
whale species are, however, sighted regularly enough to support any kind of whale watching tourism
(Apps 1996, Table 4.1). The two main targets for whale-watchers are undoubtedly the Southern Right
and Humpback whales which occur regularly off the coast during winter and spring seasons (Apps
1996). A third species, Bryde’s whale is also regularly encountered and appears to have some
populations resident along the western and southern coast (Apps 1996).
Table 4.1. Common cetacean species sighted regularly in Southern African waters
Common name Species Occurrence
Baleen Whales (Suborder Mysticeti)
Southern Right Whale Eubalaena australis Migrant in winter
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Migrant in winter
Bryde’s Whale Balaenoptera edenii Resident
Dolphins or Toothed Whales (Suborder Odontoceti)
Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus Resident
Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis Resident
Dusky Dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus Resident
Heaviside’s Dolphin Cephalorynchus heavisidii Resident
Humpback Dolphin Sousa plumbea Resident
The Southern Right Whale populations of South Africa are the most well-known whale watching
attractions in the country. This species supports a thriving whale-viewing industry, including one of
the most valuable land-based viewing tourism, largely around the Western Cape (Findlay 1997).
Populations migrate to the South African coastline each winter in order to mate and calve, with a
significant proportion of females, over 90%, returning to have their first calf (Best 2000). Their
distribution, though discontinuous, is highly predictable (Elwen & Best 2004a). Research into returns
and movement patterns in season suggest however, that they are not site specific, indicating instead
that the individuals along the South African coast appear to contribute to one homogenous population
(Best 2000). Although they are generally common along the south-western coastline between
Lambert’s Bay and Algoa Bay, sightings have been recorded as far east as St Lucia (Apps 1996,
MCM unpubl. data). During the season, about 90% of Southern Right Whales occur within one
nautical mile of the coast. They tend to concentrate in large sheltered bays, with the highest densities
occurring between Arniston and Puntjie (on the Duiwenhoks estuary which includes De Hoop Marine
Reserve). Other major concentrations occur at Mossel Bay, Struis Baai, Pearly Beach, Walker Bay,
Kleinmond and to a lesser extent, False Bay. On the West Coast, concentrations occur at Yzerfontein
and St Helena, but these are at much lower densities than on the southern coast. The whales are
thought to move around to the west coast during periods of prolonged south-easterly winds, possibly
due to poor sea conditions on the south coast and imminent upwelling on the west coast (K. Findlay,
pers. comm.). Southern Rights are interesting from a boat-based whale watching perspective in that
they are boat-attracted, slow moving and exhibit a high level of surface activity including ‘spy –
hopping’ between boat propellers.
Humpback whales occur off the South African coast predominantly in mid-winter months and spring
(Best et al. 1998). They mainly occur on migration between their Antarctic feeding grounds and their
subtropical breeding grounds in warm waters of over 24ºC located in Mozambique and Madagascar
on the east coast and northern Namibia, Angola and possibly Gabon on the west coast (Apps 1996).
Their migration routes come near to the African coast along the west coast and Wild Coast regions,
with relatively little activity in the southerly parts of the country (Best et al. 1998). On the West Coast,
Humpbacks are most common moving northwards in May-June and returning southward in October to
December. However, it appears that some individuals delay southward migration, remaining on the
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