The Map

The Map

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Whales and Baboons

Gotta keep this short again! Too much to do and see, too little time.

A baboon sitting on the rocks watching the hang gliders and tourists.

A perfect spot for hangliding, overlooking the wine area near Stellenbosch

The babboon sits and watches. They are frequently found at viewpoints and rest stops looking for a free meal. Considered by locals as pests due to the damage they cause to the vinyards, feeding them is frowned upon. Baboons are smart and have  learned to open car doors looking for snacks. They will steal your backpack from you and run away with it if you are not attentive.


On to Hermanus for some whale watching. The Southern Wright Whale comes here to give birth to their young. We saw dozens of moms and their calves enjoying the warm water.


... and the people enjoying watching them play about in the bay.


It's difficult to catch a breech with a camera, but when a whale does breech, the crowd erupts with a thunderous roar. I tried but just couldn't capture the full event. Here are a couple of shots of whales swimming around.