Hermanus, a small seaside town found in the Western Cape province of South Africa is a place to be for the lovers of sea animals.
The small town is famous for its annual Whale festival which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
History of the festival dates back to the late 80s when townspeople realized whales and other giant sea animals came extremely close to the shore during the second half of every year.
Research into this phenomenon revealed that the whales migrated from the icy Antarctica area when the sea becomes extremely cold around June, staying so for the rest of the year. This then forces the whales to migrate to the much more warmer coastal waters in South Africa with the the Hermanus township being their preferred destination due to the warm climate.
This annual occurrence led to the establishment of the Hermanus Whale Festival which takes place in the month of September every year with the 201 edition scheduled to take place between September 27 and 29.
The major attraction of the festival is the opportunity to get close to the sea and see these giant creatures swim playfully and carefree just at the edge of the coastal waters knowing very much no harm will come to them as they are strictly protected by the townspeople.
The two-day festival also serves as an opportunity for organisers to educate people on the need to protect the sea and other water bodies as well as aquatic life as they play an important role in the ecosystem.
Hermanus Whale Festival is a total package that everyone living close to Hermanus cannot afford to miss out. Extra activities like the food bazaar, the beach volleys, the beach concerts, dancing and drumming and street jams are but a few of the entertaining and fun-packed activities to expect.
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