Simon’s Town Boat Company invites you to share the most beautiful bay in the world with us. We operate 4 custom designed vessels and all our tours are presented by expert skippers & highly qualified guides.
The Western half of False Bay – stretching from Strandfontein all the way to Cape Point is one of the finest boat based whale & Dolphin watching sites in South Africa. This area is sheltered from the open ocean, surrounded by stunning views & provides an ideal winter home for the Southern Right Whales. They visit each year between June & November to mate, calve, or simply to get away from the icy Antarctic winter. Interacting with these gigantic & magnificent mammals (the size of 12 elephants) alongside our boat is an experience that will stay with you for the rest of your life. Be ready to photograph one breaching or giving you a friendly wave with its tail! Sightings of Brydes whales, Humpback whales, Orcas and Dolphins are also common. Ocean View Masiphumelele Fishing (PTY) Ltd. is the sole permit holder for boat based whale watching in False Bay (Permit No. 0806336).
Months
January • February • March • April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November • December
Duration
Short (1-3 hours) • Half-day (3-6 hours)
Vessel types
Small boat (0-50 passengers)
Times and prices
Whale & Dolphin Tours depart daily at 10:30 and 14:00 on vessel Southern Right 2. Seal Island & Cape Point tours depart daily at 11:30 and 14:30 on vessels Awesome & Southern Right 1
About our skippers and naturalist guides
All our vessels are operated by SAMSA commercial rated skippers & qualified THETA field guides.
Facilities
Access to wheelhouse • Deck with 360?vision • Disabled access • Naturalist guide(s) as well as skipper • On board hydrophone • On board video • Onboard research • PA system • Public participation in research • Restrooms / toilets on board • Scenic backdrop to encounters • Snacks / drinks • Support conservation • Use a code of conduct
We frequently
Listen to whales and dolphins • See a whale's tail • See leaping dolphins • See leaping whales • Showered by whale blows • Watch whales and dolphins
Baleen Whales
Bryde's Whale • Humpback Whale • Southern Right Whale
Ocean Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphin • Dusky Dolphin • Long-beaked Common Dolphin
Other wildlife and points of interest
Cape Fur Seals, Great White Sharks, Penguins & many other Sea Birds
Tim Rolston
Traveled: 2011-09-18, Reviewed: 2012-09-20
Safe approach to whales / dolphins
Valuable learning experience
Minimal impact on the marine environment
Own research / support for conservation
I always make a "pigrimage" to see the Souther Right Whales when they visit the shores of my home town during our winter months. Generally I view them from the shoreline as they frequently come in very close. However a trip out with The Simonstown Boat company has to have been the highlight of my numerous whale watching expeditions. I have subsequently been out with them again but on this first trip I was spellbound by the numbers and sizes of the whales. You can't really get any idea of how magificent they are from the shore, how wonderfully spectacular the size of these gentle giants.
Kari, the onboard marine biologist kept us all informed about the whales and much of the other spectacular marine life in the bay, from the resident dolphins and Bryde's Whales to the seals and penguins on Seal Island and Dave, the Captain, has an eagle eye for spotting "footprints" such that the chances of finding whales is greatly enhanced.
No matter that you may be a resident South African or visiting us during whale season I can most heartily recommend that you add this trip to your "bucket list". Regulations prevent private water craft from being close to the whales and only licensed boats with trained crew can put you this "up close and personal". This is a "must do" trip for anyone who has an interest in nature, the marine environment and whales in particular.