SEASON SIGHTINGS

Nr

DATE

PLACE

ESTIMATED

NUMBER

& SPECIES SPOTTED

SPOTTER/

SOURCE

3

2 May 2010 @ 11h29

off breakwater, Cape Town Harbour

1 SRW

Mark

2

1 May 2010 @ 11h33

off Greenpoint lighthouse, Cape Town

1 SRW

Mark

1

1 May 2010 @ 11h29

1.5 miles off Granger Bay, Cape Town

2 SRW

Mark

PRE - SEASON SIGHTINGS

Nr

DATE

PLACE

ESTIMATED

NUMBER

& SPECIES SPOTTED

SPOTTER/

SOURCE

51

30 April 2010

between Koel Bay and the Steenbras River

(ie between Gordons Bay and Rooi Els),

False Bay West Shore

7 or 8 SRW

Jerry Garret

50

30 April 2010 @ 13h37

off Greenpoint lighthouse, Cape Town

3 SRW

Mark

49

30 April 2010 @ 11h55

2 miles north of breakwater wall,

Cape Town Harbour

2 SRW

Mark

48

30 April 2010 @ 11h56

half a mile of Greenpoint lighthouse,

Cape Town

1 SRW

Mark

47

30 April 2010 @ 09h00

inshore at Oudekraal, Cape Town

1 SRW

Mark

000

29 April 2010 @ 14h00

MEDIA RELEASE

“Muizenberg Junior School today celebrated the first stage of the sculpting of a life-size female Southern Right Whale tail in the school grounds when the first sod of soil was turned at the site of the foundations.

The local tail will challenge the 6m high Humpback Whale tail at Tussing Elementary School in Ohio, USA.

The project has broad educational, business and tourism objectives as well as conservation and re-cycling themes. Plastic and metal bottle caps constitute the re-cycling component and they will be used on the outside, depicting the colours of the SA National flag. Bottle caps are being collected locally as well as from various sites around the globe such as Hawaii. The first batch has already been shipped from Tussing Elementary School. The enormous cavity will be filled with re-cycled plastic.

The art project, which will be completed in September this year/at the peak whale watching period, is facilitated by A Whale Of A Heritage Route which promotes heritage trails and whale watching along the west shore of Cape Town's False Bay. The Route has been adopted by Muizenberg Junior School.

To monitor step by step progress of what will be a highly visible marine landmark denoting the start of whale watching territory at the entrance to historical Muizenberg, visit these two web sites - www.awhaleofaheritageroute.co.za.co.za and www.muizenbergjs.wcape.school.za .

Or check it out from mid July on Google Earth at Latitude: 34 deg 06' 17.81" S Longitude: 18 deg 28' 04.11" E  .

Click here to view a pic of the launch”.

46

29 April 2010 @ 13h35

between Greenpoint lighthouse

and Clifton, Cape Town

6 SRW

Mark

45

29 April 2010 @ 11h40

off Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town

2 SRW

Mark

44

28 April 2010 @ 15h20

off  the breakwater,

Cape Town Harbour

2 SRW

Mark

43

Tuesday 27 April 2010 @ 17h40

Granger Bay – 

southern break water,

Cape Town

1 SRW.

“Numerous sightings since Friday”.

Mark

42

Tuesday 27 April 2010 @ 15h21

off Miller’s Point,

False Bay

1 whale

Amanda

41

Tuesday 27 April 2010 @ 14h50

off Danger Beach St James

1 Bryde Whale.

David reports “Maybe more -- companion reported three dorsals but I saw only one - Bryde's Whale 400m out moving at 2kts towards Kalk Bay. Very distinctive dorsal, flattish back and blow, confirm the diagnosis”.

David Clegg

40

Tuesday 27 April 2010 @ 14h45

3kms off Sea Point Pavilion, Cape Town

2 SRW

Barbara Robinson

39

Tuesday 27 April 2010 @ 09h30

Simon’s Bay

1 Humpback Whale

in amongst dolphins.

Click here to see pic

Alison and Timothy Wood

38

Tuesday 27 April 2010 @ 09h30

in the distance off Bailey’s Cottage,

Muizenberg

Whales blowing

Liz Linsell of the

Muizenberg Historical &

Conservation Society

whilst on a beach walk

37

Tuesday 27 April 2010 @ 08h30

Sunnycove,

Fish Hoek Bay

2 x  “huge” schools of dolphins

Lorraine and Rose;

Both Raymond Hendricks and Frans report them a litltle earlier off Glencairn

36

Tuesday 27 April 2010 @ 08h30

Fish Hoek Bay

far out moving north

1 whale

Lorraine and Rose

35

Saturday 24 April 2010 @ 11h00

area of

Roman Rock Lighthouse,

Simon’s Bay

Dolphins.

“Massive school of dolphins and two puffs”.

Carina Downes

of Redhill

34

Friday 23 April 2010 @ 12h30

off Catwalk, Fish Hoek Bay

whale blow

Lorraine

33

Wednesday 21 April 2010 @ 08h30

Fish Hoek Bay

1 whale

Evanne

32

Tuesday 20 April 2010 @ 09h58

across the bay approximately

300m off Glencairn

Dolphins.

Raymond reports: “Dolphins feeding on the surface  accompanied by birds. They followed the classic dolphin swimming action of bobbing up and down through the water.

They moved quickly from the FishHoek side in the North and I lost sight of them towards Castle Rock past the Simonstown Harbour in the South. They were chasing fish because the water was well churned up by both the dolphins and birds.

The school was fairly large - I tried to estimate how many by roughly counting twenty of them and that could have been about less than a quarter of the school”.

Raymond Hendricks

31

Tuesday 20 April 2010 @ 09h58

Simon’s Bay

Dolphins

in a frenzy

Martyn Trainor

30

Tuesday 20 April 2010 @ 09h40

between

Kalk Bay and  Clovelly

Dolphins

in a frenzy

Michelle Potgieter of BISA

29

Saturday 20 April 2010

between 09h00 – 10h00

off St James moving towards Muizenberg.  

1 large Humpback;

3 smaller

David Clegg

28

Monday 19 April 2010 @ 18h00

Fish Hoek Bay

Humpback whales

George reports:

“There seems to have been a lot of Humpback whale activity over the past two weeks – I have personally seen at least five from my house in Fish Hoek in the past week and a half. The latest was this evening quite close in and moving gently south.

Dolphins also visible over the week-end, in conjunction with huge amount of birds – really excellent because it indicates the presence of food”.

George Bottome

on the Fish Hoek

mountainside

Sunday 18 April 2010

off Glencairn

Dolphins

and the new whale tail buoy !

.

Click here to see pic courtesy Tammy ex Facebook

Tammy Steele

via Daphne Anderson

26

Sunday 18 April 2010 @ 10h00

moving between

Muizenberg and Kalk Bay

Dolphins.

Evelyn reports: “Herewith some pics taken with a 400mm long lens from Boyes Drive this a.m. at about 10.00. All close-ups taken by Keith  Lyle, I just took the image showing the postioning of the scenario. After these were taken, they moved off quite rapidly away from the coastline towards direction of Seal Island”.

Click here to see pic

Evelyn and Keith Lyle

whilst high up on Boyes Drive

25

Saturday 17 April 2010

in the morn

moving between

Simon’s Town and Fish Hoek

Dolphins.

Louise reports: “This morning we spotted a very large pod of dolphins (possible 500+) moving between Simon’s Town and Fish Hoek on a feeding frenzy. In close pursuit were at least 3 whales and if I am not mistaken they were Killer whales! A very exciting experience”.

Louise de Waal

24

Tuesday 13 April 2010 @ 08h00

opposite the Kalk Bay Railway Station

1 whale

Flippie of Metrorail, Kalk Bay

23

Saturday 10 April 2010 @ 08h06

1 km east of Roman Rock Lighthouse,

Simon’s Bay

Zillions of dolphins and some whales

Martyn Trainor

000

Sunday 4 April 2010

Brad Raymond, formerly of Brad’s Bistro (now 19-On-Main Bistro), Kalk Bay is in town, promoting his newly published book “Cooking With Brad”. Brad lives in Buenos Aires and is closer to home than he may think in that there is a distinct geographic link between the mountain range Sierra de la Ventana 500 km SW of Buenos Aires and the Western Cape. Click to see map.

22

Saturday 3 April 2010 @ 07h30/during Two Oceans Marathon

Fish Hoek Bay

1 blowing

Michelle Potgieter of BISA

000

Wednesday 31 March 2010

The media reports that more than 300 Southern Right Whales, most of them young calves, have been found dead in the past five years at Peninsula Valdes on the east coast of Argentina, approximately 1 500km SW of Buenos Aires. Possible causes are being examined by various scientists. Note: The peninsula is reportedly the lowest point in South America at 40m below sea level. It is shaped like an axe and is home to the southern elephant seal, sea lion, and right whale and penguins. One third of the global population of Southern Right Whales are thought to use the protected bays for calving and nursing between the months of June and December. Click to see map that (1) places False Bay, Walker Bay and Peninsula Valdes breeding grounds in context and (2) shows how the axe seemed to once fit into False Bay.

000

Wednesday 31 March 2010

The cylindrical buoy off Glencairn has been replaced with a buoy in the shape of a whale’s tail.

21

Sunday 28 March 2010 @ 17h37

Misty Cliffs

2 whales

Anita

20

Sunday 28 March 2010

between 09h00 – 10h00

 off St James moving towards Muizenberg

1 large Humpback;

3 smaller

David Clegg

19

Friday 26 March 2010 @ 16h40

close to Kalk Bay Harbour

1 whale blowing

Michelle Potgieter of BISA

18

Wednesday 24 March 2010 @ 12h15

opposite Behr Road, Kalk Bay

Whale blow

Clare Yeowell

17

Monday 22 March 2010 morning kayaking session

south of Roman Rock lighthouse,

Simon’s Bay

Historical Note:

Constructed in 1867 - the only lighthouse in the southern

hemisphere built offshore on a rock

school of 500+ dolphins

Dawid Mocke

of The Paddling Centre,

Fish Hoek

16

Sunday 21 March 2010

morning kayaking session

Simon’s Bay

3 curious Bryde's Whales

Click here for report

Kim Kruyshaar &

Viv von der Heyden

15

Saturday 13 March 2010

morning kayaking session

Fish Hoek Bay

30 to 40 small dolphins

Dawid Mocke

of The Paddling Centre,

Fish Hoek

14

Friday 12 March 2010 @

09h00 – 13h00

Seal Island trip

White Sharks x 4 and 300 Common Dolphins

Karyn Cooper of

Apex Shark Expeditions,

Simon’s Town

13

Thursday 11 March 2010

morning kayaking session

In Naval Dockyard,

Simon’s Town

1 whale

Dawid Mocke

of The Paddling Centre,

Fish Hoek

12

Saturday 6 March 2010

morning kayaking session

halfway between Roman Rock and Millers Point, Simon’s Town

300 big dolphins

Dawid Mocke

of The Paddling Centre, Fish Hoek

11

Tuesday 9 February 2010 @ 17h29

passing in front of The Bible Institute,

Kalk Bay, heading towards Clovelly

Dolphins

Michelle Potgieter of BISA

10

Friday 5 February 2010 @ 19h00

far out in the bay splashing in a line towards Cape Point or Simonstown

and off Fish Hoek Bay

Michelle reports “there was a line of dolphins/porpoises far out in the bay splashing in a line towards Cape Point or Simonstown.  A little later there was a large school of black dolphins/porpoises very close to Clovelly, swimming towards Fish Hoek.  The others further out were still visible and splashed more as they jumped in and out than the closer ones which hardly splashed at all. The darker ones had dorsal fins. Very many dolphins”.

Michelle Potgieter of BISA

9

Friday 5 February 2010 @ 18h20

directly in front of  The Bible Institute,

Kalk Bay

3 whales

Michelle reports:

“3 whales, maybe more.  Two spouting out to sea the one spouting almost continually. The third was slightly further out to sea. Seems to be a smaller type of whale”.

Michelle Potgieter of BISA

8

Friday 5 February 2010 @ 17h48

off Wolfgat Nature reserve, False Bay

1 whale

Clare Yeowell

7

Thursday 28 January 2010 @ 06h30/07h00

off Lagoon Beach, Milnerton

2?

Sian and Steve Martin of the UK  - spotted from their beach apartment

6

Tuesday 26 January 2010 @ 13h00

off Queens Road, Sea Point

2 whales 100m apart

Leslie Hannah

5

Saturday 23 January 2010 @ 11h25

out to sea between Kalk Bay Harbour/

Bible Institute Of South Africa

1

Michelle Potgieter of BISA

000

Sunday 17 January 2010 @ 15h47

Glencairn Beach

4 sharks

Kay of Neptune’s Rest Self Catering Accommodation whilst on the road calls to say that there are 4 sharks off Glencairn beach; clearly visible and

definetly not dolphins

4

Thursday 14 January 2010 @

08h20 - 09h00

Fish Hoek Bay

2 whales

Chad Chapman and Michelle Potgieter

3

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Fish Hoek Bay

1 whale

Sarah Titley

000

Tuesday 12 January 2010

Fish Hoek Beach – main swimming area -

directly in front of the children’s

playground. Probably no more than

100m from the promenade.

1 “massive” shark fatally “attacks” Lloyd Skinner

click to go to beach page

Various folk

2

Sunday 27 December 2009 @ 13h21

200m off Froggy Farm,

Simon’s Town

1 whale

Martyn Trainor

1

Wednesday 9 December 2009 @ 11h31

Rooi Els

2 whale

Peter

References To Historical Notes in Log. Refer to www.awhaleofaheritageroute.co.za/copyright.htm

FOR THE LATEST WHALE INFO

either call A Whale Of A Heritage Route on 079 391 2105 or

visit the website sightings log at www.awhaleofaheritageroute.co.za

WHEN YOU SPOT A WHALE

either call A Whale Of A Heritage Route on 079 391 2105 or

e mail [email protected]  to have it recorded on the website log.

FRONT OFFICE OPERATING HOURS

Year-round: 08h00 - 18h00.

BACK OFFICE/CALL CENTRE OPERATING HOURS

Year-round 24/24.

WHALE HARRASSMENT OR DISTURBANCE

call 021 788 8313 or 021 782 0333.

MAPS: HISTORICAL – VILLAGES & TOWNS: pdf versions

Cape Point (draft)

Fish Hoek Valley

Glencairn

Kalk Bay

Muizenberg/St James

Simon's Town