Annual sightings of southern right whales bring joy to South African town

By Rédaction Africanews with AP

A southern right whale. It’s reached the end of a long journey from Antarctica and is now in the warmer waters off the coast of South Africa.

In the shelter of Walker Bay, where there are few natural predators, these creatures can give birth safely and raise their young.

For the town of Hermanus, which sits above the bay on the southern coast of the Western Cape, it’s boom time for tourism.

Every year, local authorities host a whale festival to draw in visitors wanting to see the marine mammals close to land.

To make sure they don’t miss their chance to spot one of these giants of the sea, the town enlists the help of a whale crier.

Sileze Kuku walks the stretch of cliffs looking for whales and when he spots one, he blows a massive horn made of kelp. He says he’s been spotting far more whales this year than last.

“I remember the other day, I saw almost 25 whales in one day, and I wasn’t sure which one I should take pictures of because they were all jumping,” he says. “It was really amazing.”

Hermanus is a popular day trip for Cape Town residents wanting a break from the city.

“It is always cool being in nature and seeing a whale breach, or just being in this environment,” says Joel Seboa from Cape Town.

Although the draw of Hermanus is how close visitors can get to whales from the land, some choose to get even nearer in boats. From the water, lucky visitors may even spot newborn calves.

The species was depleted by commercial whaling but has been protected from hunting for decades.

Between the months of June and November every year, that recovery is on display in Walker Bay.

For Hermanus, the whales’ arrival has become as much a part of the town’s calendar as the creatures’ eventual return to the frigid waters of Antarctica.