The evocatively named Whale Coast in South Africa lives up to its title from July to November, when large numbers of southern right whales seek out the sheltered bays along the South African southern coast for breeding.
Whales can be seen from False Bay at Cape Town all the way east to Mossel Bay on the Garden Route, but by far the best place for whale spotting is Hermanus. The cliff tops in the town are popular with binocular-clutching visitors to see the whales breeching and blowing in the ocean below. There's a Whale Festival in September that is popular with day-trippers from Cape Town, and sandy beaches and vineyards provide further distractions.
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