While Knysna remains a quaint town in the heart of the Garden Route, there is nothing small about it – especially if we’re talking about the wildlife you’ll encounter during your visit…
Not only can you walk with the gentle giants who dwell within the Knysna forest, our elephants, but Knysna also brings you incredibly close to those equally gentle and equally giant ocean dwellers – the migrating whales. And with the first whale already having been spotted off our coast in May, whale watching season is well under way.
The Garden Route coast is ideal for spotting these playful beasts as they enter our protected bays to mate, calve and generally have a good time. Central to the Garden Route and with a variety of self catering, guest house, B&B and boutique hotel accommodation to choose from, Knysna is the perfect base from which to chase the whales along this spectacularly beautiful coastline. And if you really want to get up close and personal with these big beauties, the area offers an array of professional whale watching ocean expeditions to enjoy.
Watching these inexplicably nimble giants leap from the water to come crashing down in a tidal wave of sea foam is an experience not to be missed. Arguable the most playful of the bunch, and also the species most likely to be spotted during whale season (approximately May to September), is the Southern Right whale.
Easily identifiable by their uniformly black colouration and white callosities found on and around the head, these grand dames of the ocean also have exceptional singing voices which can be heard below and above the water, with sounds ranging from clicks and blows to roars and what can only be called a nostalgic keening. Click here to listen to these amazing sounds.
Of course you’re also likely to spot a few seals and dolphins amongst the incredible diverse sea-life that thrives along the Garden Route coast, as well as a multitude of sea birds like the endangered African oystercatcher.
So make Knysna your destination of choice this winter – we have a temperate climate, friendly people, fantastic accommodation – and whales!