Gansbaai
not just a visit ... but an adventure
GANSBAAI TOURISM :: WESTERN CAPE :: SOUTH AFRICA
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WHALE WATCHING IN GANSBAAI
Southern right whales spend the summer months feeding around Antarctica and then migrate thousands of kilometres to the sheltered bays of South Africa to mate and calve. They can be seen along the coast between June/July and December. These whales were giving the name right whale because they were the 'right' whale to hunt. They are slow moving, occur close to shore, yield large amounts of valuable blubber and baleen and float when dead. They were close to extinction, but are now protected and their numbers are increasing at 7% per year. The southern African population is estimated to be around 3000 individuals. The body is large and black usually with white patches on the belly. About 4% of calves are born mostly white. No dorsal fin. There are patches of roughened skin called callosities on head. These are covered in whale lice. Individual whales have unique callosity patterns. Flippers are broad and paddle-shaped. The blow is V-shaped.
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