“The Ivanhoe”

Best Whale Watching Hermanus on the Queen Of The SA Whale Watching Fleet

The Ivanhoe is a 42 ft. catamaran, which was specifically designed and custom-built for whale watching.  Our extensive experience gained from over 8000 close encounters with our majestic southern right whales was our inspiration for the design of the Ivanhoe.  The most experienced whale skipper in South Africa specifically designed the “Ivanhoe” to provide an exceptionally safe and stable vessel from which to view hermanus whales.

From the Ivanhoe our guests have an unobstructed view of the Hermanus whales and our guests will never get wet – even in inclement weather conditions.  While the Ivanhoe is capable of carrying 40 passengers comfortably, for the indulgence of our guests, we limit passengers to 25 for every trip.  This means that all our passengers can be seated at all times making the trip far more pleasurable.

The Ivanhoe is extremely comfortable, dry and most importantly stable.  Our guests have the advantage of looking down at the Hermnaus whales from the upper viewing bridge, giving them a great perspective.  Other amenities specifically designed with the guest’s pleasure in mind are large, dry cabins on the lower deck as well as toilet facilities.  The Ivanhoe is equipped with two 4-stroke 250hp petrol engines that make the trip exceptionally quiet and pollution free.

We conform and use the highest safety standard life jackets as issued by SAMSA and The South African Maritime Safety Authority surveys the Ivanhoe annually.

Southern Right Whale Facts

These days, southern right whales delight whale watchers with their peculiar looks and crowd attracting antics, like breaching and headstands. They are increasingly seen on the NSW coastline from June to the end of November. You can spot them off the shore of a beach, on a boat or venture into a NSW national park. Southern right whales can be found in very shallow water including estuaries and bays. They have even been known to swim into the surf zone, but are not known to strand. If you are lucky enough, you may even delight in watching the mothers and calves playing together. This is a very important time for the calf, as the mother is teaching its young the life skills it will need before it returns to the Antarctic.

3 months ago

Ivanhoe Sea Safaris
The past 3 days there has been a algae bloom in the bay looks like oil slicks but after having the water tested we can confirm that it is in fact Noctiluca scintillans otherwise known as sea sparkle. t is a single-celled dinoflagellate (an alga with a flagellum or tentacle) and belongs to the microalgae. Unlike most algae, sea sparkle does not use sunlight to make food (photosynthesis). This is one of the reasons why scientists are not quite sure whether sea sparkles are more like animals or plants. ... See MoreSee Less
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6 months ago

Ivanhoe Sea Safaris
2023 Whale Season Opens: Whale Season Extravaganza:Spectacular Sightings on our 1st Trip of the season with Ivanhoe Sea Safaris!Trip Report 2nd-June 2023 – 2023 Whale Season Opens with Sightings of Humpback Whales, Southern Right Whales, Brydes Whales, a Super Pod of Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals, African Penguins, Lots of Marine Birds, and the Skipper Reported it was an Exceptional TripRead the Full Report on this link:- https://whaleviewing.co.za/hermanus-2023-whale-season-opens/ ... See MoreSee Less
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6 months ago

Ivanhoe Sea Safaris
2023 Whale Season Opens: Whale Season Extravaganza:Spectacular Sightings on our 1st Trip of the season with Ivanhoe Sea Safaris!Trip Report 2nd-June 2023 – 2023 Whale Season Opens with Sightings of Humpback Whales, Southern Right Whales, Brydes Whales, a Super Pod of Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals, African Penguins, Lots of Marine Birds, and the Skipper Reported it was an Exceptional TripRead the Full Report on this link:- https://whaleviewing.co.za/hermanus-2023-whale-season-opens/ ... See MoreSee Less
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6 months ago

Ivanhoe Sea Safaris
Awesome trip with these beautiful sea pandas #orca #orcawhale #Blackfish #killerwhales #gansbaai #ivanhoeseasafaris #apexpredator #southafrica ... See MoreSee Less
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1 years ago

Ivanhoe Sea Safaris
What we appreciate most are the whales who are as interested in us as we are in them 👀 Southern Right whales are naturally curious and social animals 🐳 we are grateful that we get to work with these gentle giants. 📹 Dylan Swanepoel🔗 Follow this link to live track some of our Southern Right Whales as they head back to the feeding grounds: https://www.mammalresearchinstitute.science/whale-unit📞 Call or WhatsApp on +27 (0) 82 926 7977✉️ Email - info@whaleviewing.co.za 🖥️ Website - www.whaleviewing.co.za📷 Follow us on Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/ivanhoeseasafaris/🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here - https://bit.ly/3lZVrrl ... See MoreSee Less
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1 years ago

Ivanhoe Sea Safaris
Brindle adult spotted on one of our recent trips 🤍🖤🐳📹 Dylan Swanepoel🔗 Follow this link to live track some of our Southern Right Whales as they head back to the feeding grounds: https://www.mammalresearchinstitute.science/whale-unit📞 Call or WhatsApp on +27 (0) 82 926 7977✉️ Email - info@whaleviewing.co.za 🖥️ Website - www.whaleviewing.co.za📷 Follow us on Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/ivanhoeseasafaris/🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here - https://bit.ly/3lZVrrl ... See MoreSee Less
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