Book at any of our listed Hermanus accommodation
establishments and you will be guided & guarded to make
the most of your valued holiday time & money in and
around Hermanus. The list of things to do in Hermanus is
endless. There is something to suit every taste bud &
lifestyle. Hermanus is famous as the best land based
Whale watching spot in the world and boat based Whale
watching promises to be an unforgettable experience.
Whether you want to sip some of our excellent local wine
while watching the more adventurous thrill seeker take
off in a plane to watch the Whales of Hermanus or opt
for a Canoe ride at the Old Harbour to look the Hermanus
whales in the eye yourself, you are guaranteed of having
fun in Hermanus. Activities include - Wine route, bird watching, 4X4
Trips by car or Quad bike, Hiking, Fynbos exploring,
Horse trails, Gentle walks, Paintball shooting,
Paragliding, Deep sea fishing expeditions, trout
fishing, sunset boat trips, .. speak to your hosts of
the various Hermanus accommodation establishments for
more information & guidance.
Hermanus South Africa Shark Cage Diving promises the
keen adventurer and thrill seeker, an experience of a
lifetime. Our professional shark cage diving operators will
introduce you to this magnificent apex predator of the
ocean that we are so privileged to have inhabiting our
South African coastline up close and personal.
What can I expect when I go on a Hermanus South Africa
Shark Cage dive?
One of our local operators had a replica of a 3m Great
White Shark made up by a top taxidermist in order to use
this to point out the anatomy and characteristics of the
Great White Shark.
You will receive a full briefing on the day’s events for
the trip out to sea, where after you will be chaperoned
down to the harbour and board the boat. A qualified
skipper will give a safety briefing before departing
from the harbour.
The boat will then travel about 5.2 nautical miles out
to sea to Dyer Island which is home to approximately 70
000 Cape Fur Seals. The operators work around Shark
Alley which is the channel that runs between Dyer Island
and Geyser Rock which inhabits many different bird
species and penguins. Shark Alley is world renowned as
the Great White Shark capital of the world. A full
education is also given on the history and orientation
of the area, as well as an education on all the
wildlife. Island tours vary at different times of the
year depending on weather and pupping seasons.
After touring around the islands, anchor will be dropped
at a suitable spot in and around Shark Alley. The crew
will start attracting the sharks that are in the area,
to the boat which is called "chumming". The cage will be
lowered into the water and divers will be kitted up for
the experience of a lifetime!! Remember you do not have
to dive to view the Great White; surface viewing is
truly spectacular from the boat as the Great White is a
surface feeder.
The operators do not feed the Great Whites as they are
so well fed on our coastline. They use a bait rope with
fish that all form part of the Great Whites food chain
and use this to entice the Great White. The bait ropes
are pulled away from the sharks. Apart from viewing the
magnificent Great White, it is also possible at this
time of year to view dolphins, seals and penguins.
Southern Right whales can be spotted in the winter
months from July – Dec.
Wine route We are surrounded by high quality vineyards and have a wine route that starts about 3 km's from the guest house. Most of these wines are not readily available overseas as they are not produced in large quantities and are unique to our area. Whilst Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are well known for their wines it is a pleasant surprise to our guests to discover a whole new wine area with superb wines and the most incredible location. A lot of the vineyards are located in a valley named Heaven and Earth so you can imagine for yourself the stunning scenery which you can combine with good wine. The wineries are a lot smaller and more personal than the Stellenbosch , Franschhoek wineries with the more traditional one on one tasting rather than the clinical dispenser. Visit Beaumont vineyard for a personal glimpse of a family run winery.
