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'In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.'
Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)
The local wildlife plays a starring role in nearly every one of the plethora of activities that Guludo Beach Lodge provides for its intrepid guests. Whether it be the Coconut Crabs of Rolas Island, the Bull Elephants regularly seen from the Bush Lookout in Ningaia or even the hoards of man-eating Lions preying daily upon our un-suspecting visitors. The last one may be a slight over exaggeration but we definitely do have a large population of Vervet Monkeys who are constantly providing any willing spectator with mind-blowing feats of acrobatic prowess. But there is one activity that can provide astonishing viewing for any participant keen to take part, and that is the famous Humpback Whale watching trips led by our experienced Boat Captain and Guludo’s ‘King of Cool’, Americano. He fearlessly steers our guests through the not so stormy waters of the Indian Ocean to find these phenomenal beasts of the sea.
My latest venture to catch a glimpse of the Megaptera Novaeangliae (before some genius decided the name was ridiculous and called it a Humpback Whale) was one I will not forget in a hurry. It was a bright and breezy Wednesday morning and just another day at the office for me and the Captain as we pondered life, the universe and everything. We were accompanied by two Italians and a couple so French they would have bled beujoulais. The first couple of hours saw a couple of long distance sightings of the whales; we had the mixture but no cake. I could feel frustrations grow as we went another hour with nothing in sight. It was at this point that Orsine, the heavily moustached Frenchman decided he needed to relieve himself off the back of the boat. Everyone politely turned away only to spin back around in quick haste at the sound of excited Gallic exclamations. You can imagine the astonishment at the sight of this 20 tonne monster rise up from underneath the back of the boat and come to surface a mere 3 metres away. Unperturbed by the whole situation Americano swung us round and kept up our pursuit, be it from a slightly safer distance, of our new friend and his newly appeared partner in crime. It was incredible to see these two enormous yet elegant kings of the ocean frolicking in the sunshine, reminiscent of Ian ‘Thorpedo’ Thorpe in his heyday. This incredible sight was further enhanced as we were intercepted by a crack team of dolphins who kindly guided us through the gentle waters in pursuit of the two friendly giants.
The Nema Foundation has long been aiding the University of Cape Town with its whale conservation programme, recording all the necessary information on the sightings and tracking their location. I did add one useful footnote that is sure to help their research; a garlic enriched urine sample could prove to be an essential ingredient in coaxing these magnificent creatures up to the surface. I do hope they’ve taken note.
The humpback whales will still be around until late October, with the best time of year to see them in September when you can see the mothers teaching their new calves fin-slaps and aerial acrobatics. Don't miss out!
