Whale, Dolphin & Penguin Island Cruise
Description
Our cruise is unique in that we operate in the diverse Algoa Bay, rich in wildlife and history. Visiting St Croix island, home to half the worlds remaining endangered African Penguins. This tour is run just once a day instead of trying to run multiple cruises in one day. This ensures that our skippers and guides are fresh and alert for every cruise and makes it possible to spend more time and effort searching for wildlife in our Bay or observing something special that we come across provided that no one on board is in a rush to get back for a flight or bookings previously made. Our main focus is education, conservation and assisting in research which is made possible by the funds generated from our Marine Eco-Cruises out into Algoa Bay. Trees are planted to balance our carbon footprint for each cruise conducted. We use smaller boats so as to keep our cruises personal. Our skippers and Guides are very knowledge and are there to answer any questions and see to the needs of our Guests.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We meet our guests at 8am and after a short briefing before we head out into PE's beautiful Algoa Bay on our twin-engine catamaran. The whale season begins in June when we see humpback whales moving along the coast as they head up the East coast of Africa towards their breeding grounds. Humpback whales can be seen in Algoa Bay from June to early December. They make their return journey from October, females with calves in tow. Southern right whales can be seen close in shore from July to September.
Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins are the most frequently observed dolphins in the bay and can be spotted all year round, in groups from 10-400. These playful dolphins are mostly found in shallow waters either near the beaches or around St Croix Island, and tend to come right up to the boat and ride along in the bow waves. Common dolphins are also a spectacular sight as they are seen in groups of 1000-2000, swimming along at great speeds. These dolphins are often spotted all year round further out to sea, especially on the bird island tours, as they follow large shoals of baitfish which move past the bay. We also get humpback dolphins in Algoa Bay, which usually occur in much smaller groups, anywhere between 1 and 20, and are most commonly seen during the summer months.
St. Croix Island is home to 12,000 endangered African penguins, the largest breeding colony found in Africa (though we have lost 70% in 10 years). It is here where you will get a close-up encounter with these comical birds. The African penguin’s breeding season reaches its peak between March and May, when you may be able to see the chicks from the boat. As well as African penguins, both St. Croix and Brenton Island are inhabited by the endangered African black oystercatcher, white-breasted cormorants and Cape cormorants. The St. Croix Island group, along with the Bird Island group, became part of the Addo Elephant National Park, allowing rangers to patrol the islands in aid of conservation efforts to protect the African penguin population. As they are Marine Protected Are-as, please note that you are not allowed to actually go on to the islands.
Next to the above-mentioned animals you have the opportunity to see of spotting white-breasted cormorants, Cape cormorants, bryde’s whales, minke whales, Cape fur seals, various species of sharks, Cape gannets and various species of pelagic birds including terns, petrels, skuas, shearwa-ters and albatrosses.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Disabled who can board with assistance from family and crew are welcome to join. There is no age restriction. Life jackets are available for all ages
- Please join at your own discretion regarding health and fitness
Reviews(830)
The experience was very cool, we saw whales jumping which is what I was looking to see, dolphins, seals, and penguins,
Beautiful experience, absolutely recommended, we were there in August and we saw many animals such as dolphins, whales, seals, penguins and numerous varieties of birds. The guides are knowledgeable and very helpful
Genuinely enjoyed the experience, storytelling, atmosphere and of course, views. The tour stretched for another hour, because we spotted an ‘acrobatic’ performance by a whale and the guides just made sure that the visitors gained the most out of the experience. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for you descriptive review - is so appreciated by our team. Hope you can join us again one day.
An amazing experience! We were on the boat "My Bru" with skipper Lloyd and Keith. Both were fantastic humans, with lots of knowledge of Algoa bay and its marine life. We say lots of marine life including 2 species of dolphins and wales, penguins and seals! If you need convincing this is your sign to do it!
Thank you so much for such a lovely review - is always wonderful to get such great feedback from our guests. I will pass on your kinds words to the team.
It was an amazing experience. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys spending time on the water.
Thank you Steve, for joining us and the 5 star review and recommendation. So appreciated by our team. Carry the memories with you and hopefully you can join us again one day.
Definitely a must-experience, at least once in your life. I was lucky to have a voucher for 2 people for the trip. The whole cruise lasted longer than planned since we were trying to locate whales for a while and they popped up at some point unexpectedly. We had a small crowd according to the guides, and the staff were excellent on our tour. Lots of fun facts and they made sure we all got the most out of our experience. The waves were wilder than expected the further we got out to sea and sea-sickness was a struggle for most of the trip. It felt like a rollercoaster, especially for us first-timers on a boat. Definitely wear something that is water proof and warm if you can. Comfortable shoes and a rain jacket is advised!
Ahh - so happy you enjoyed all even though you got a little seasick and wet. Sounds like it was worth it and thank you for the tips - we will be sure to add a bit more info to our booking confirmation as to what to bring and advise about seasick medication to help make the ride more comfortable.
The atmosphere on the cruize was next level. Our skipper and crew know the environment, hence we got to see the dolphins, whales, seals and pinguins within a distance of +/- 15 to 20 m. How amszing is that. The crowd size was perfect. The 5 hours on the trip was my best 5 hours ever spent out in nature. The admission fee is reasonable and the timing to serve the snack was excellent. If you haven't been on the boat with Keith as your skipper, then please don't delay, the time is now.
Thank you Kenneth for such a lovely review. We take pride in what we do and to hear we have achieved a next level tour for our guests just makes it all so worthwhile.
An amazing day! Only 5 customers on the boat. Crew was friendly and knowledgeable. My family really appreciated that the business is very focused towards conservation. We saw ganets, cape fur seals, common dolphins, bottle nose dolphins, humpback whales, brides whales, penguins and 2 great white sharks. One of the sharks hung around the boat for a good hour. Of course, the sharks were the highlight but we loved the show the common dolphins put on as well.
Thank you for taking time to note such a lovely review and that you enjoyed all. And best of all got to see the endangered Great White Shark.
What an amazing trip, the knowledgeable guides gave us detailed explanations of what marine life we encountered and kept us safe on the boat! We never felt seasick and had a very comfortable trip. We managed to see whales, dolphins, penguins and seals.
Thank you Tayla, wonderful to hear you had a great time with the team.
Just returned from the cruise & ticked a long time bucket list item. The crew went above & beyond to maximize sightings, give lots of information & make it a memorable morning. Seeing whales & dolphins close up out at sea was so exciting. Highly recommend Raggy Charters!!
We are so happy to hear that we have fulfilled someones dream and have created lasting memories for all. Thank you
