WHALECoast Stories

Wild

Wildlife on the Whale Coast

Whales in season, horses in the wetland, birds on the lagoon, penguins a short drive away.

Whales

From June to November, southern right whales can be seen from the Kleinmond coastline, where they come to mate and calf. You do not need a boat for a meaningful sighting. You need time, a path, and cloud cover that does not offend you.

Wild horses

A herd of wild horses roams the marshlands at the Bot River lagoon beside Rooisand Nature Reserve. They are widely described as South Africa's only wild horses in a wetland habitat. Watch from a distance. They are not an attraction you book.

Birds, and a penguin colony nearby

The lagoon and Palmiet mouth are serious birding water: flamingos on their day, African fish eagles, oystercatchers, and a long list if you keep a notebook. Stony Point's African penguin colony is in Betty's Bay — a short coastal hop, not a Kleinmond street. Harold Porter National Botanical Garden is also next door in Betty's Bay.

Next step

Talk to Johan

A conversation costs nothing and usually saves a wasted trip — or starts a chapter.