Port St Johns - Five humpback whales surrounded our rubber duck, lolling about in the warm, clear ocean off Port St John’s on the Wild Coast. Then another whale came up under us, no more than a metre away, its tail as wide as our boat.
There’s nothing like sitting on top of a 30-ton whale to remind yourself that man isn’t the most powerful – or impressive – animal on Earth.
“They’re completely fine with us being here,” skipper Rob Nettleton explained. “For such large creatures they have amazing spatial awareness, so they know exactly where we are all the time.”
Each time one came up to breathe it would spurt out the air from its huge lungs, causing a misty spray to land all over us.
“Whale spit!” Rob laughed out loud. “I’m sure they do that on purpose sometimes, just to see our reaction!”
In winter and spring, up to 10 000 humpback whales migrate thousands of kilometres from Antarctica to the warm waters of the Agulhas Current off the south-eastern shores of Africa.
Here they meet up to mate and give birth – and have fun. Often they breach clear of the ocean, soaring into the air and crashing back into the sea with a monumental displacement of water.
The calves are about 800kg at birth and drink their mother’s pink milk, 60 percent of which is fat.
Much of the time the males sing their melodious songs, which last up to half an hour and echo through the depths.
Humpback songs are among the most diverse non-human sounds, and the same whale can sing a different tune every few years.
The ocean of the northern Wild Coast between Port St Johns and Port Edward is the best place in South Africa – and one of the best in the world – to see these remarkable creatures up close.
I’ve travelled to many of the region’s most impressive national parks and nature reserves and photographed some of Africa’s iconic wild animals. But nothing compares with being in the presence of several humpback whales, each of which weighs five times as much as an adult African bull elephant.
There are thousands of dolphins, too. They’re so common that after a while you forget to look at them. Cape Gannets hover in the air, then plummet into the ocean to feed on sardines that the dolphins have corralled. It’s one of the largest concentrations of wild animals on earth, rivalling the Serengeti wildebeest migrations.
Expert marine guides – Rob from Offshore Africa and ichthyologist Steve Benjamin from Animal Ocean – take visitors out from Port St John’s to be part of this wilderness.
The Pondoland Marine Protected Area – the country’s largest marine reserve – conserves this rich ocean life, although some “controlled” fishing is allowed. Stretching 90km along the coast, and between 10km to 15km offshore, this ocean sanctuary should be recognised as one of the world’s greatest protected areas.
It’s not just the ocean that makes the northern Wild Coast special – its rolling grasslands, deep river gorges, and waterfalls make this one of the country’s most beautiful landscapes. The AmaPondo people lead a deeply traditional life, and are among the friendliest and most courteous I have met.
Illegal holiday home developments have tarnished some of the coastline, and mining companies keep threatening to dredge for titanium. Foreign fishing trawlers sometimes enter illegally. And near towns the once-pristine indigenous forests are being choked by alien vegetation.
But there are places that remain mostly pristine. On land are four reserves: Mkambati, Silaka, Hluleka and Dwesa lie from north to south, each offering something different. Mkambati is the wildest, and the Mtentu River Lodge just to the north of it is the best place to stay. Here you can paddle up the untouched Mtentu River gorge. Listen out for fish eagles, and look for Knysna turacos flashing scarlet wings. Forest hugs the sandstone cliffs, and in the nearby ocean, humpback whales sing their songs. - Cape Times
l Ramsay is a photojournalist focusing on southern Africa’s protected areas. For more, see www.yearinthewild.com. For ocean excursions, see www.offshoreportstjohns.com or www.animalocean.co.za For accommodation, see www.visiteasterncape.co.za or www.mtenturiverlodge.co.za