Walker Bay Nature Reserve 2015
A day out at Walker Bay Nature Reserve on the 4x4 trail near Stanford.
The town of Stanford is positioned between Hermanus and Gansbaai with lovely little restaurants.
Exploring Walker Bay
We took a trip out to Walker Bay, where each winter the gentle giants of the ocean, Southern Right Whales, seek shelter from their usual Icy Antarctic feeding grounds to bask in the warmer waters off the Southern African coastline. August & September are perfect times to see the whales on this stretch of coast.
Walker Bay, stretching from Hermanus all the way to Gans Bay, becomes a particularly good place to see these incredible creatures in their natural habitat during their mating & calving season.
We explored the hiking trails on the cliffs of trendy Hermanus, before heading for a whale watching cruise with “Ivanhoe Boat Based Whale Watching” in Gansbaai.
We spent the night at Shores Edge in Sandbaai, a magnifiecient seafront guesthouse, the perfect place to unwind after a full day of exploring Walker Bay.
Shores Edge -
Ivanhoe Sea Safaris -
Photographing Walker Bay, South Africa at Sunset
This past holiday I spent with family in Gansbaai, Soouth Africa, the Great White Capital of the world.
It is a magic piece of coastline, full of drama and cozy nooks. The sandstone cliffs allong this piece of coast is amazing with jagged edges and deep gullies.
I went down to the Walker Bay reserve to see if I could capture a shot from inside the old Koi San cave. This proved to be pretty difficult, so I went to another location, walked my ass off to get there before sunset, but made it.
So please feel free to let me know what you think. 2017 will bring more videos of this style to you guys as well, so input from you would be appreciated.
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My Gear
Canon 6D
Canon 17-40 f4 L USM
Canon 7D Mark2
Canon 10-18 EFS STM Lens
Rode GO Mic
Manfrotto 055 Tripod
Lee Softgrad filter set
Lee filter holder
Lee filters adaptor ring
WE FOUND AN ISOLATED HUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOUNTAINS // SOUTH AFRICA
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Vogelgat Private Nature Reserve lies only 125km east of Cape Town, it takes hiking and overnighting to the next level. The waterfalls and unique vistas are two of the many attractions to its members.
Cape Town is a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast, on a peninsula beneath the imposing Table Mountain. Slowly rotating cable cars climb to the mountain’s flat top, from which there are sweeping views of the city, the busy harbor and boats heading for Robben Island, the notorious prison that once held Nelson Mandela, which is now a living museum.
Hermanus is a seaside town southeast of Cape Town, in South Africa’s Western Cape Province. It's known as a whale-watching destination. Beaches include Voëlklip Beach and the broad Grotto Beach, overlooking Walker Bay. The Old Harbour Museum is a site encompassing the old harbour, a fishermen’s village and the Whale House Museum. The latter has informative displays and a suspended skeleton of a whale.
#overnighthiking #capetown #southafrica
Walkerbay Nature Reserve
My very first attempt at time lapse. This contains roughly 1300 images for the final product.
Gear used:
Canon 5D mkii
Canon 24-70mm mkii
Polarising Filter
Credit:
Audio - Hans Zimmer Time Instrumental core remix.
Fernkloof Nature Reserve, Lemoenkop summit, Hermanus, South Africa, 2019-05-08
(c) slivka.com. All rights reserved.
Grootbos Riding Safaris | Walker Bay - Garden Route | South Africa
???? HERMANUS SOUTH AFRICA CLIFF PATH TRAIL & FERNKLOOF NATURE RESERVE ????
#hermanus #fernkloof #gardenroute
The Hermanus cliff path hugs the coastline and offers a 12km path for walkers and hikers alike. Start near the new harbour and enjoy a visual journey along the beautiful rugged coastline to Grotto beach, this path offers many benches to sit and watch the whales or to enjoy ocean views.
The entire cliff path is protected within the Fernkloof Nature Reserve, proclaimed in 2000, in a bid to protect the fragile ecosystem alongside Walker Bay.
This famous cliff path was Originally built by the Hermanus Botanical Society, but today this cliff path is looked after by a voluntary group of local residents, known as the Cliff Path Management Group.
If you park your car at The New Harbour side of the cliff path, you can walk the roughly 3 km towards Gearing's Point close to the town centre of Hermanus. On this route, you will pass famous spots like Rietfontein, Tamatiebank, Dreunklrans, Fick's Pool and Gearing's Pont.
In Whale Season (from June till December) you can spot whales along the cliff path, famous whale watching spots are Gearings Point, Old harbour, Roman Rock, Mickey, Kraal Rock, Silver's Point and down to the beaches of Kwaaiwater, Voëlklip and Grotto Beach.
Grootbos | Walker Bay Whale Watching
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Walker Bay
Grootbos is situated just inland from Walker Bay Nature Reserve and the bay is a marine protected area. It is nestled along the coast of the Western Cape between Hermanus and Gansbaai in South Africa.
Walker bay is an incredible destination because it is a natural wonderland with pristine sand dunes rolling between a lush fynbos valley and an immaculate stretch of untouched beach. There are several hikes one can take to appreciate this incredible beauty. The coastline is unique because the virgin white sand is surrounded by jutting limestone rocks and the clear Atlantic Ocean caresses the sparkling beach relentlessly. The coastline is a prime location for exploration as some of the limestone rocks are host to a labyrinth of caves where ancient man once roamed.
Walker Bay isn't just breath-taking because of the incredible landscape however, what makes this bay extraordinary is the colossal visitors the Walker Bay receives from July to December. Southern right whales return to the shores of South Africa after a feeding frenzy in the Antarctic. It is an incredible spectacle as they come here to mate and calve. The area around Walker Bay is renowned as the whale-watching mecca because dozens of mothers and their calves often come incredibly close to the rocky shoreline. Scientists are not entirely sure why they venture so close but the crowd certainly enjoys it. Another thing about the Southern rights that scientists are still trying to figure out is why they behave like they do -- breaching, lobtailing, spyhopping and sailing -- but the only conclusion they have made is that they are having fun. Locals also believe that they respond to the crowd and recognise the acknowledgement by putting on a whale of a show.
Hermanus is renowned as one of the best land-based whale watching spots in the world. Every year in spring Hermanus hosts a whale festival to celebrate the incredible marine animals with stalls, live music, delicious food, local wine and other entertainment. What many people don't know is that Gansbaai is also amazing for land-based whale watching, the beaches are mostly secluded and the overhanging cliffs elicit incredibly close views of these majestic creatures. Grootbos is ideally situated between both of these towns for an astounding experience with whales.
Kogelberg Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa
Lovely 10km hike in this beautiful place - had it all to ourselves too.
Ebo on Tour 2018 01 Südafrikas Küste im Walker Bay Nature Reserve
Stay in Luxury Amongst South Africa's Unique Floral Kingdom | National Geographic
Built on a hillside where a continent ends, two oceans collide, and the smallest of the world’s six floral kingdoms flourishes, the lodges of Grootbos Private Nature Reserve are uniquely positioned to capture the magic of South Africa’s Western Cape.
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Below, Walker Bay stretches to the horizon, home to the “marine big five”: great white sharks, southern right whales, seals, penguins, and dolphins; and vast coastal caves bear traces of a Stone Age civilization. Blanketing the hillside with bright, intricate flowers of every shade is the fynbos, or “fine bush,” a hardy, complex plant family endemic to South Africa.
Read Find Bliss in This Stunning Floral Kingdom for more things to do in South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region.
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Stay in Luxury Amongst South Africa's Unique Floral Kingdom | National Geographic
National Geographic
Hermanus, Western Cape. South Africa
Hermanus is a seaside town southeast of Cape Town, in South Africa’s Western Cape Province. It's known as a whale-watching destination. Beaches include Voëlklip Beach and the broad Grotto Beach, overlooking Walker Bay.
Filmed using the DJI Spark.
Over 2000 Dolphins in the Walker Bay (South Africa)
This morning, 13 May 2011, we spotted one of the biggest schools of common dolphins we have ever seen in the Walker Bay.
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De Hoop Nature Reserve - Home of the Whale Trail
De Hoop lies at the southernmost tip of Africa, where mountains meet the sea and create a fusion between freshwater and marine habitats that support a staggering array of terrestrial and aquatic life. Encompassing roughly 34 000 hectares, this World Heritage Site is one of the largest natural areas managed by CapeNature. Annually, between July and November, southern right whales make their epic journey back to the safety of these rich waters to mate and calve -- a spectacular site to witness. With many large mammals (most notably the rare bontebok and Cape mountain zebra) and a great diversity of birds, the reserve has also become well known for supporting the only breeding colony of Cape vultures left in the Western Cape.
Take a walk through the Fernkloof Nature Reserve in Hermanus
take only photographs and leave only footprints
Situated in the Kleinrivier Mountains on the northern side of Hermanus, Fernkloof Nature Reserve incorporates mountain fynbos as well as a pocket of evergreen forest.
Hermanus, Walker Bay, South Coast, South Africa
Fisherhaven
Aerial Video of Fisherhaven, the bot river lagoon and Walker Bay in the Overberg region of The western Cape, South Africa, filmed by aerialskycam.co.za
Grootbos | Whale Watching in South Africa
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Whale Watching
Grootbos is ideally positioned on a fynbos biome just inland from Walker Bay Nature Reserve, a whale watching mecca. On either side of Walker Bay is Hermanus, which is flooded with tourists keen to catch a glimpse of these incredible animals, and Gansbaai, unbeknownst to many it also boasts incredible land-based whale watching. Hermanus is a popular whale watching destination in spring as the town hosts the annual Hermanus Whale Festival. With Grootbos you can experience the whales from land, by boat or by air. There is a house situated along De Kelders where Grootbos takes their guests to view the whales. There is a balcony where guests can sit, sip on sparkling wine and watch these majestic creatures frolicking in the water below. The house is situated in Gansbaai because of the proximity to Grootbos and the views are equally beautiful to the popular Hermanus. Since there are no crowds in Gansbaai it also sets a very tranquil and private viewing.
There are several reliable tour operators that take tourists out to experience the Southern rights in their natural habitat. Luckily for the guests they have a relentless curiosity that brings them ever closer to the shore and the boats. Viewing whales by air is the real show-stopper however. Grootbos has a private runway where a Cessna Aircraft can take off and soar into the sky to provide a bird's eye view of these incredible marine animals. There is zero interruption in their natural habitat and from these heights you can truly grasp their sheer size and the number of whales that are actually in the water. The record is a viewing of 135 whales in half an hour!
The Southern right whales have made Walker Bay their mating and breeding ground for countless years. These migratory animals come here for a vacation to frolic in the waters with their young after feeding for six months around the Antarctic. They can be recognised by their lack of a dorsal fin and the large callosities on their head. Each whale has a unique pattern of callosities (which is rough patches of skin that barnacles and whale lice live) that helps researchers differentiate between whales. From a distance they can be recognised by the signature V-shaped blow. These great animals can grow as tall as 16 metres in length and can weigh between 40-70 tonnes. Their soft nature and jovial demeanour will steal the hearts of anyone who comes within close proximities.
Guests can relish the luxuries of the five-star lodge and enjoy the incredible spectacles nature has on offer in this part of South Africa. Being witness to these gentle giants is one of those rare and inspiring moments in life.
A View of Hermanus and Walker Bay from the top of the Kleinrivier Mountains via Rotary Drive
This video provides a view of Hermanus and Walker Bay from the top of the Kleinrivier Mountains.
Once you have seen this video, you will understand why Hermanus is also referred to as the Riviera of the South. Hermanus is attractive to travelers not only because of its wondrous setting, quaint fisherman’s cottages and unspoilt natural beauty, but also because it offers a myriad of Activities all year round. Hermanus also boasts with the reputation of being the best land based whale watching spot in the world, however you can also view whales by boat, kayaking, and scenic flights.
Greater Hermanus is situated only 90 minutes drive from Cape Town on the southern coast of the Western Cape along the Cape Whale Coast Route.