One of my earliest memories is sitting on the rocks in Hermanus watching whales “frolick”.

My aunt is oooohhh-ing and ahhh-ing with every tail flick and jump, while my brother is red-eyed and furious, sitting with his back to the whales.

He was not happy. So furious, in fact, that he refused point blank to even look at them. He had been promised whales frolicking and had envisioned it being way cooler.

I remember the whales. I remember my aunt being completely captivated by them. I remember my brother being thoroughly unimpressed.

What I don’t remember is really understanding just how incredible it was. Because as a kid, you have a funny way of taking extraordinary things for granted.

And Hermanus is pretty extraordinary, especially in Whale season. Known as the Whale Watching Capital of the World, Hermanus is one of the best places in South Africa for land-based whale watching.

The famous Cliff Path stretches along the coastline, with plenty of viewpoints overlooking Walker Bay. The stars of the show are Southern Right whales, which come into these sheltered waters to mate, calve and raise their young.

And they are BIG. A Southern Right whale can grow to around 15 metres long. Seeing one from a distance is impressive enough, but when one comes close to shore, you suddenly have a very different appreciation for just how enormous these animals are.

Then there are the moments when they do something completely unexpected: a tail slap, a breach, a slow gentle roll. Or a head appearing vertically from the water for a look around, something called spyhopping. And yes, it’s such a cool bit of whale behaviour that we had to include it in our Kids South African Journal .

As a child, I probably just saw a whale.

Now that I travel with my own kids, I am excited to share these experiences with them. They haven’t yet sat on those rocks in Hermanus watching Southern Right whales roll through, but they’ve had their own whale moments.

They’ve spotted whales from the breakfast table at Lookout Beach in Plettenberg Bay and gone out on a whale boat in Plett, and been lucky enough to watch these enormous animals from the water.

South Africa really does spoil you for choice. You don’t have to look very far for incredible things to do with kids. Wildlife, oceans, mountains, forests and adventure are all part of the landscape.

But travelling with kids has also made me think differently about these experiences. Kids don’t always see what we see. Sometimes they are completely captivated; sometimes they’re more interested in the ice cream afterwards. And that’s part of the fun.

Looking back, I wish I’d had a Zwela journal on those rocks in Hermanus. Somewhere to record the things I noticed, with prompts to make me stop and think, ask questions and understand a little more about what I was seeing, and remember what made that day special.

That’s what we wanted Zwela to be – something kids could take with them and make their own as they travel.

Because that’s how our journals are meant to be used: on the go, on the adventure.

 

A few of our favourite places for whale watching around Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay

Hermanus

You don’t need to book a boat to see whales in Hermanus. One of the joys of a family whale-watching day here is simply walking the Cliff Path and stopping whenever someone spots something in the water. Pack a picnic, grab a coffee and find your own little spot to sit and ooohhh and ahhhh as the whales frolick in Walker Bay.

The Cliff Path runs for around 12 km, so you can make as much or as little of it as you like. There are plenty of viewpoints along the way, and it is one of those wonderfully simple South African family holiday activities where the kids can walk, explore and keep their eyes on the ocean.

Enrico’s, Keurboomstrand

Just outside Plettenberg Bay, Enrico’s is one of those places that should be on every Plett visitor’s list.

If the stars align and you get lucky, you could find yourself sitting on the terrace with a cold beer, a delicious pizza and a view across the bay – and, if you’re really lucky, whales passing by.

The restaurant sits right on Keurboomstrand, looking across towards Robberg, and whales and dolphins are often spotted from the terrace.

And honestly, even if there isn’t a whale in sight, it’s still a pretty great place to spend an afternoon.

Robberg Nature Reserve

If you want to earn your whale watching, head to Robberg Nature Reserve.

There are three circular hiking routes, ranging from a relatively easy 30-minute walk to the more strenuous 9.2 km Point Circuit. The middle Witsand route takes around two hours and passes above the resident Cape fur seal colony, making it a particularly good option for families who want some wildlife without committing to a four-hour hike.

During whale season, Southern Right whales can be seen from the reserve, and you may also spot dolphins and other marine life. Sharks are out there too, but obviously that is firmly in the if you’re lucky category!

And one of our favourite little additions to a Robberg day is the coffee trailer in the parking lot. Grab a delicious coffee, drink, or even a milkshakefind a picnic bench and look out over the ocean.

Both Enrico’s and Robberg Nature Reserve are fantastic during whale season, but that’s the thing about Plett – you don’t need a whale to make either one worthwhile. They’re two of our favourite places any time of year.

And maybe that’s the real joy of these South African family adventures. Sometimes you get the whale. Sometimes you get the seal. Sometimes you get the coffee, the pizza, the view and a very happy family.

And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get all of it.