The Rock @ 2 Oceans
Fish Hoek Accommodation - Fish Hoek & Surrounding Areas

Whale watching in Fish Hoek

Open boat whaling took place in Fish Hoek from 1817 to 1868. Nowadays the whales know that it is safe to come into False Bay and the Southern Right Whale comes into the bay to calve. Other types of whale can also be seen from about August to the end of November.

The Southern Right Whale is frequently seen very close to the Fish Hoek beach. These whales use the extreme coastal waters of the south western Cape coast, including False Bay, as calving and nursery grounds. The whales start arriving in Fish Hoek at the end of May and remain in the region up until the end of November. You are most likely to spot them in Fish Hoek during the month of October.

Although less common than the Southern Right Whale, one may be lucky to spot Bryde's Whales, Humpback Whales and Killer Whales in Fish Hoek. Dolphin species in the region include bottlenose dolphins on the east side and dusky dolphins on the west side.

One may observe different Whale behaviour from Fish Hoek beach. This includes Whales leaping out of the water and then back flipping into the water, called breaching, which may continue for four or five minutes, and may be interpreted as play, communication, or an aggressive display.

Other behaviours include blowing through blowholes when surfacing; making a sound by slapping flukes on the surface (called Lobtailing); and grunting.

Whales improve their view of the surrounds by standing vertically with head and body, as far as the flippers, above the surface. This spectacular behaviour is called Spy hopping.

One may also observe a group of whales interacting in a small area; this is usually a mating session. Several males will attempt to mate with a single female.

Fish Hoek, Kalk Bay and Muizenberg were all boat whaling stations in the past. Take a walk and enjoy excellent, close-up views from the Kalk Bay Harbour Wall, the Fish Hoek catwalk, and the coastal walkway from Muizenberg to St James (past Baylie's Cottage). One may also enjoy splendid whale watching by car – take the coastal road from Fish Hoek to Simon's Town to Cape Point; or follow Boyes drive, from Fish Hoek to Kalk Bay to Muizenberg (this is the road above St James and Kalk Bay towards Muizenberg); or take a long walk on Noordhoek and Kommetjie beaches and see the whales form the shore. Take the coastal road between Kommetjie and Scarborough or from Noordhoek to Sea Point and enjoy fantastic views and good whale watching!

If your appetite for whale watching is still not satisfied then other whale watching points include Hermanus, Stony Point near Hangklip, and the coastal road from Hangklip to Gordon’s Bay.