Boat Based Whale Watching From Hermanus

Great experience from Start to finish. Prompt pick up, informative driver (Paul) and great whale watching. Called in on an amazing wine farm on the way back to Cape Town too, and a penguin reserve.

Thank you for your fantastic review! It was a pleasure having you with Paul Palono tours. We' re proud to provide memorable Cape Town, and Hermanus whale watching. It was a pleasure helping you discover the beautiful coastline and marine life of South Africa

Thank you so much, Paul Polano! The whale watching in Hermanus and the tour of the Cape Province were absolutely amazing. Paul was very friendly, punctual, and shared lots of interesting stories and local anecdotes throughout the excursion and the drive. I highly recommend him!

Whale watching experiences was amazing ..we will love to come back again ..I personally recommend to all because

Had wonderful experiences with Paul Polano tours whale washing service the mostly great experiences i can really recommend this trip with Paul i appreciated best 👌 service informative tour

Highly recommended Paul Polano tours absolutely stunning, especially as the sun began to set over the reserve.we were lucky enough to see several whale watching including whole experience even more magical.

Wonderful time with Paul Polano tours Everything was organized smoothly great experience and whole day felt stress fee. Definitely a 5 Star experience whale wish 🤞 ✨️ and would highly recommend booking through them!!!

If you are looking for an extraordinary, seamless, and memorable experience, look no further than Paul Polano Tours. We went out with Paul last week, and it was simply the highlight of our trip. From the smooth pickup to the wealth of knowledge Paul shared along the way, everything was handled with absolute professionalism and a genuine passion for what he does. He knew exactly where to take us for the best views, and we were rewarded with the most magical sighting of a pod of majestic whales swimming in the vibrant turquoise waters. It’s incredibly rare to find a guide who combines excellent value, perfect logistics, and such a warm, engaging personality. Whether you are a local or a visitor, booking with Paul Polano Tours is an absolute must. We cannot recommend him highly enough and will definitely be booking again in the future!

I had an amazing time when I was there’s it was very wonderful during well watching 🥺 with Paul Polano tour very remarkable very amazing tour guide very present

There are so many “cookie cutter” tours for this activity so it’s important to choose one that stands out, and for all the right reasons.. Paul’s company has significant USPs. Firstly, the journey to Hermanus is stunning, the boat is like a cruise liner compared to most options you’ll get there, and the skipper is a like a de facto whale whisperer … you’re pretty much guaranteed to have an experience like being inside the National Geographic channel. On top of all that, Paul is a gent who is fun to hang out with for the day, as well as him being highly reliable and possessing an encyclopaedic knowledge. If you want a true insider’s take on the history of South Africa, especially the last 80 years in Cape Town, with intriguing anecdotes, and fascinating insights regarding contemporary living across the diverse class and racial spectrum of the country, then you’re not going to get a better grounding than this. If you’re visiting South Africa / Cape Town for the first time and you want a tourist’s experience that stands out from the crowd then select this tour with Paul.

What a lovely morning we had in Hermanus. We arrived bright and early where we were provided with hot teas and coffees. After a brief safety talk we were off and out on the water. As we went we watched the sunrise over the surrounding mountains. It was spectacular. Then came the whales. We spotted a Brydes whale along with many majestic southern right whale. There was a lot activity due to the time of the year. The staff were all friendly and helpful and we have the most lovely morning out on the water. Thank you all we had an excellent time.

Had a great experience with my wife and two of our friends. Paul was friendly and very responsible. He showed great interest in our safety and made sure we understood the route. He guided us nicely and made sure we got to see everything the company had to offer as advertised. We will definitely book another trip with Paul Polano Tours within the month of October

Great friendly service from Paul. I booked expecting just whale watching (which was great) but the price also including a tour where we saw penguins, baboons and also visiting a winery

I booked this tour in June 2025 for my mother and I to do during our visit to South Africa. The tour was advertised as 6 hours which is why we chose it. The tour states it is from Hermanus so we booked a taxi from Cape Town to Hermanus and 2 nights accommodation (1 night before the trip and 1 after). We stated on our initial booking that our collection was from a hotel in Hermanus. The day before the trip I contacted the operator to check our pick up time (shown on the confirmation as 6.30am). Was told we would be collected at 8am. We made our own breakfast as the hotel only served breakfast from 7.30am at an offsite location. At 8.15am I checked my emails to see that the pick up time was updated to 10am. 'Paul' arrived and took us to a viewing point in Hermanus and told us about some of the history of the area but we told him we were just keen to get on the boat trip. Were advised the boat went at midday. After about an hour on the boat, the skipper advised we would shortly be heading back to the dock. We were shocked. Spoke to other passengers who booked directly (with Southern Right Charters) and paid 1440ZAR each (approx £50) for the trip. We had paid 5600ZAR each (£241) for the trip. On questioning this with Paul when we got back on land, he stated that the trip included transfers from Cape Town. This was not advertised anywhere and was not on my confirmation. We were very upset and had a heated discussion. We were later offered to go on the same boat trip the following day at 6am but had to arrange our own transport to and from the harbour. This did not feel like a suitable option as we would incur further costs and would still have paid almost 5 times the cost of the actual trip if booked directly. I asked for a partial refund given we had not had a transfer to and from Cape Town and that we had paid for our own transfer and hotels based on the information provided in the listing and confirmation. This was declined due to 'policy'. I have contacted Viator and Southern Right Charters to warn them of what happened as this was a complete misrepresentation from Paul Palano Tours. To be clear, Southern Right Charters offer an excellent service and experience at a reasonable price.

Had a great trip! Very accommodating and was great at explaining the history and culture behind lovely country! Saw the ubeleivable whales which is what we wanted from the tour but was also offered allot more.

Well executed excursion. The crew was very capable and led us straight to the whales - right whales performed perfectly and were easy to see! The weather was just beginning to turn. Everything was timed well!

We didn’t just do whale watching… we did whale seeing! It was an amazing experience from door to door. Our private driver was extremely kind and just became part of the family. We also had lunch and wine tasting at Benguela Cove on the recommendation of our driver,Paul, on the way back to Cape Town . It was not included in the price but absolutely worth the side trip. Could recommend this journey more. Absolutely worth it!!!

Great morning out it was early in the season so there weren’t many whales to see but the crew tried hard to find some and we did !! Very exciting and we saw a baby with its mother which was amazing. The drone video is worth it as you see a lot more from above and it is of your trip.

I had an amazing time with Paul Polano Tours. He was humorous and friendly. He is really punctual as well. You should really spend your money on the company.

Paul was an exceptional guide during our boat-based whale watching tour in South Africa. His knowledge about the marine life and whales was both fascinating and educational. His professionalism and friendly demeanor added so much to our adventure.

We recently went on a whale-watching tour, and while we couldn’t see any whales, the experience was still memorable. Our guide, Paul, was friendly and knowledgeable, making the trip enjoyable despite the circumstances. He even went the extra mile by making a pit stop at a cheetah sanctuary on the way back, which was a nice bonus. Though the whales didn’t appear, we were lucky to spot dolphins- a fantastic sight! Overall, it was a great tour, and Paul’s expertise made it even better.

Paul was brilliant. He took care of us all throughout the whole day, taking us whale watching, showing us around Hermanus, and taking us to the Cheetah Sanctuary. We had such a great day. Thank you Paul.

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Really experience at whale watching with best tours guide Paul I really enjoyed great time in hermanus can recommend very good service 🥳🥳🥳

The trip was amazing! Poul is a really good, informative and friendly guide, who was happy to share a lot of insights about South African history, culture and current events, really making the most of any transportation time too. The whale watching itself was tremendous - friendly staff, great boat that feels very safe, and we were very fortunate with multiple encounters of whales and marine life. Overall had a great day and good time!

Great trip at hermanus whale watching with amazing friends Good very nice experience I can recommend it whale watching very enjoyable experience

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