Marine Big 5 Safari With Transport From Hermanus

Well organised and fun activity to see whales, humpback whales and seals.

The sea on the day we were booked for was really rough and so it wasn’t the best experience for us. Not their fault but we didn’t see the Big 5 and so it was an expensive trip for what we got. I wish I had booked a trip from Hermanus itself as driving an hour to the port and a hour back in a bus was just extra wasted time. The trip should have been 2.5 hours at sea but we were back on shore in less than 2 hours. Marine biologist was good though. Do your research before booking as I am sure there are probably cheaper options just as good.

We had not long done a Safari experience and this trip just completed our whole amazing 'animal' experience. Great crew (would say lunch, very basic). The trip out enabled us time and viewings of some amazing marine life, great pics on the day blog by the way.

The staff were all friendly and demonstrated their commitment to the work they do. They were keen to give us a great experience and see as many different species as possible. The commentary was interesting and the person was very knowledgeable. Having described as “lunch included” that felt quite basic/disappointing Otherwise all great. Thank you

A fantastic experience from pickup to drop off. The driver was on time and got us to the port in a large, comfortable vehicle along with 8 other people. At the port we were given refreshments and the safety brief before kitting up and boarding the boat. The wether was beautiful and the sea dead calm. We were warned you couldn’t guarantee what we would see but only about 10 minutes in we reached a pod of around 150 dolphins playing around the boat. Next were a group of 20 African Penguins out fishing. Next was a mother and calf whale slowly cruising along - they came within 5m. Next watching sharks around the shark tank boats, then loads of seals playing in the sea and basking on the rocks. Just enjoying life! Finally on the way back in a small group of Southern Petrels. We’d seen the ‘big 5’😀. A fantastic day, highly recommended.

On August 3rd, we visited the facilities at Maryne Dynamics to enjoy the Marine Big 5 Tour. We traveled from Spain to Hermanus specifically for this tour, and we were very disappointed. After the tour, we tried speaking to the people in charge, but were told we had to send an email, we all know where those emails end up. We did get a reply by e-mail, but naturally, there was no compensation; they don't care since they’ve already got our money. Their website states that if conditions aren't suitable for a good trip, the customer gets a refund. In their email, they claimed the sea wasn't rough, but they failed to address the fact that there was extremely heavy fog, making it impossible to spot any marine life. Out of the three-hour tour, there was only half an hour without fog; the rest of the time, we saw nothing. They claim to post photos from the tour on their blog every day; that day, they posted photos that clearly didn't reflect our actual experience. There were photos of whales looking as if they were right next to us, whereas we saw the whales meters and meters away. They say boats aren't allowed to get that close, but then don't post such close-up photos, because it creates unrealistic expectations. It’s completely misleading. I’m attaching a video to provide a visual element to my review so you can see part of how this company misleads people. I do not recommend taking any tour with them. They create unrealistic expectations and will never cancel a tour, even if the weather is bad and the experience is ruined because it’s not in their interest. They insist the sea wasn't rough, but in my opinion, heavy fog isn't ideal weather for this kind of tour either; after all, you go to enjoy marine wildlife, not a scene from a horror movie.

I had the best experience ever was the best tour i ever did thank you marine dynamics the staff and everybody that works there are super nice special shout out to Zile thank you so much for the opportunity for me and my son..

100% perfect experience. Very professional. Highly-recommended. Thanks to Go2Africa for booking us with the best!

We thoroughly enjoyed our marine 5 boat sea safari with Marine Dynamics. From the moment of reaching out to make the booking, through to the boat trip & return transport, everything was well organised with good communication. Pick up and drop back at the hotel was provided by a clean, air conditioned van with safe driver. The sea safari was thoroughly enjoyable with plenty of space for everyone to see the animals from the boat. We were lucky enough to see a bryde’s whale, dolphins, penguin and cape fur seals. We’d definitely recommend buying the optional drone video after your trip, we found it well worth it especially as it showed the size of the whale vs the boat. It’s will be a great way to treasure these memories. Thanks again to Marind Dynamics and all their amazing staff

Well organised trip , good pickup from the hotel. The penguin sanctuary is smaller than expected and only a brief stop off but their work is interesting. The highlights of our safari was seeing sharks and dolphins. U fortunately we did not see whales , but we were out of season. Food provided was a bowl of soup, not great but given we did not expect anything quite acceptable. The staff were knowledgeable and informative

Very organised team and great service. Good at explain and wonderful experience. A good team that makes you feel comfortable. Always ready to serve

A fantastic day out from start to finish. Communication was excellent and the warm, friendly reception set the tone right away. The team is very well informed and clearly passionate about what they do. Everything was well organised, and they really made an effort to search for wildlife rather than just going through the motions. We were lucky enough to see penguins, sharks, whales and seals, which made the experience even more special. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a fun, educational and memorable marine experience in Gansbaai.

The trip to see the whales was a great experience and highly recommended, the operator made the trip run smoothly and enjoyable, we sailed to see some shark cage diving as a starter, where you could see the sharks going to the cages where people where excitedly waiting for the shark encounter, and they and we, were not disappointed, we then proceeded to see a South African penguin colony and also a seal colony, before we encountered the famous Souther Right whales, with a mother and her calf being the star attractions, and we had plenty of time to observe them playing near to our boat, and fantastic experience, enhanced by the helpful crew who always pointed out where the whales would be and gave us interesting facts along the way.

Superb experience. Picked up from our hotel in a comfortable bus by excellent driver and taken to Gansbaai. Coffee and cake followed by a superb boat trip. Southern Right whale mother and calf spotted. Bronze whaler shaft and seals and penguins galore. Safety on boat excellent and guide very knowledgeable. The conservation work being done by the company is inspirational. Lovely soup and roll served on return which was unexpected. Very clean rest rooms. The driver kindly stopped in at the penguin sanctuary on the way back. 100% recommend this tour.

Professional well run trip - friendly guides. Saw everything promised - whales sharks penguins seals over a trip of slighly less than 3 hours. Big seas and swell but excellent skipper with good safety on board. Close viewing to all the animals/birds. Plenty of tme to enjoy the baby whale breaching - no sense of urgency or having to keep to schedule. Comfort food snacks before and after

Absolutely excellent trip and brilliant value. Very professional crew and set up. Really enjoyable and informative A must!

A really excellent trip,great organisation, safely managed,amazing wildlife ,we saw all of the big 5 ,would recommend

Marine Dynamics is an awesome company to do this trip with. Why? Many reasons! First of all, because I had some questions upfront via e-mail, they were so friendly and helpful. Secondly, the day itself was great. Everybody involved is so friendly and warm. And knowledgeable. And the best thing, they go out of their way to make sure we see as much as we can see. But they do so with the utmost respect for the animals. And... With regard for safety. Because during our day the waves were significant. They never lost sight of that and made some very good choices. So if you are thinking of doing a trip like this, go for Marine Dynamics!

Our experience with Marine Dynamics was nothing short of incredible. We had the unforgettable opportunity to see whales, seals, and penguins up close, guided by a knowledgeable biologist who shared powerful insights about the challenges these animals face. Their passion and care for both the wildlife and their guests were truly heartwarming. What made this experience even more meaningful was the kindness and attentiveness of the staff, who genuinely wanted to ensure we had a wonderful time. After being abandoned by our original tour operators, Bianca Els and Craig Lucke of Southern African Tours—who took our money and failed to plan any of our excursions—this level of care was especially appreciated. Marine Dynamics went above and beyond to make us feel welcomed and valued. They served a delicious breakfast before the trip and warm soup with fresh bread afterward—such thoughtful touches that made the day even more special. This was truly a highlight of our time in South Africa. We’re deeply grateful to the entire team for turning what could have been a disappointing trip into an extraordinary and memorable adventure.

Seals were amazing. We are not sure if we saw one whale rise one time or three different whales. We never saw porpoises. We did watch a couple of small sharks respond to the chum next to the shark cages. It was a nice boat ride, but not quite what we expected.

We really enjoyed our time on the whale tour. We saw a whale beech multiple times, and several seals. The guides were all nice and great at pointing out the wildlife. Note that the pics are by them, but it was actually from the tour I was on :)

I spent time researching a credible and reliable business with which to go whale watching with and Marine Dynamics were exactly that. Although expensive, there were lots of nice touches tea/coffee and muffins on arrival, a wind proof coat on board, very attentive staff on the boat ready to answer questions, mints offered round, the most amazing wild life of course with super knowledgeable commentary and soup and bread on our return. We also stopped off at the penguin sanctuary. I would thoroughly recommend!

Perfect conditions, calm sea, deep blue sky. And wthin minuten we saw a whale with her calf. Later we saw the endangered Humpback dolfins. The boat for caaged sharkseeinig gave us a close look a shark, unfortunatly not rhe great White one, then to the Dyer islands to see african penguins and multiple seals. The crew is very helpful. Gave loods of information, binoculars, towels and of course a comfortabele trip to and from Hermanus to Gansbaai. The catering at the startpoint was also good.

Terrible experience. Avoid at all costs. Took us out on choppy waters with very little to see. In addition the orca whales have been killing many of the sharks in this area and they don’t warn you about that. Everything takes ages and people are left waiting around. If you get the bus with them you are beholden to the times over passengers want to leave and there is zero flexibility and no taxis. Our bus was left waiting around long time for two passengers who wanted to sit and eat soup for a long time. Raised it with the staff and they were all useless and u helpful. Do not use this company and I will be advising my agent who booked this trip for us to blacklist them in the future.

This is a must do! It was awesome. The tour operators are very kind and always attentive to your needs in addition to taking utmost care to spot the big 5. Unmissable and can be filled with memories

An extremy well-organized tour. We saw all big five and had a very informative guidance from the guide. Good value for money. Sound system on board could be improved, it was hard to hear at times. The marine big five includes the Great White Shark and the Southern Right Whale. We saw smaller species of shark and whale, which formally will not count (I guess?) as Big Five. This is a minor remark and it has to do with the season, but the operator could be more open about that. All in all, a unique experience in about three hours, which will stay in memory for a long time. If nothing else for the video that was taken onboard for downloading by a professional fotographer.

A fantastic experience from start to finish. We were picked up from our hotel and transferred to the location where coffee and muffins awaited. Following a full safety brief we boarded the boat. Despite it being out of the main whale season we were lucky enough to spot and follow one to complete our marine big 5. The team were friendly and helpful but always focussed on safety. An excellent tour!

We chose this tour because it was run my marine biologists and had a conservation aspect and we were not disappointed. The guides were fantastic and knowledgeable, and we got to see penguins, Cape fur seals, right whales, and sharks. It was a great trip and was made even more pleasant by starting with coffee and muffins and finishing with juices and delicious soup. I highly recommend this tour.

It’s a great tour, worth every penny and I highly recommend. Well organized, good safety. Lovely soup at the end. Everything needed provided from slickers for wetness to blankets if cold. We spent an hour or so with several whales and their calves. Also saw seals, penguins couple of sharks ( at their shark cage boat). The crew was great. Friendly and great at pointing out where to spot the whales - until the animals came over to see us and you could not miss them! The skipper also would bring us closer and we would hang with them. It was an exhilarating experience and they are very professional and also do a lot for animal conservation and education of the public about endangered species. Go for it!

Seeing both humpback and southern right whales and their calves was amazing. The skipper, crew and volunteers put us on numerous whales and were respectful of them by keeping a distance. One curious brindle humpback juvenile swam right under our ship. Fantastic! I was disappointed in seeing another boat chum for sharks. This is not a good thing to disrupt their natural behavior for the benefit of a few people in cages. Also surprised that there was an upcharge for transportation to Hermanus when I understood that this was included. Plus we were gathered at 7:00 am and drove for three hours including an hour picking up others around Cape Town. Driver was excellent and stopped at some nice bakeries half way for a comfort break and coffee. So just be aware that the fee may not include all transportation and the round trip from Cape Town is over 6 hours for 30 minutes with the whales.

Excellent trip from pick up to drop off. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff and managed to respectfully observe some impressive creatures. Highly recommended.

Excellent experience - great pick and drop off. The sea safari is incredibly well organised, from the safety briefing to the crew on board ensuring everything goes well. The boat feels safe as the crew are so knowledgeable. We saw shark, humped back dolphins, southern right whales (mother and calf), seals, sea lions and penguins. It was a wonderful trip.

Fantastic trip, we had a great time. Staff were really good. We managed to see whales, shark and seals. It was a little choppy but that just made it more fun

Due to weather forecast we had a very early start, got picked up about 6.00am then were in bus for about 90 mins gathering other guests and travelling to harbour. Fast and good size boat for number of passengers, crew were excellent, particularly with passengers suffering with the choppy conditions. Got to see southern right whale mother and calf up close, including the mother breaching the water. Visited a huge seal colony, saw lots of sea birds, not any shark sightings, some other whales in distance. Overall a good tour, but what you need a bit of luck to get good close sightings.

Conservation-minded and professional team with a knack for finding the whales! Seeing humpbacks breach was a bucket list adventure.

First off, it was a beautiful day for being winter. The water had calmed down substantially and we set off! There were still some swells and one of us got a bit queasy, even after dramamine. The crew was right on it and offered peppermint and ginger and soon were feeling much better! Kudos to the crew for their attentiveness!! Pickup at our hotel was perfect. We headed out in search of ocean critters and found Humpbacks, sharks, seals, penguins, and many birds. It was a great time, supported a good cause, and would recommend to anyone!!

It was a beautiful day, nice weather. The waves weren't that shaky ;-) Dolphins came past the boat, penguins were swimming nicely. The seals were enjoying themselves on their rocks. Although the whale season was already over, we were still very very lucky to spot some whales. Last but not least we saw how the sharks were fed, which are very impressive animals.

The crew did great in teaching us about the marine big 5 and the views were magnificent. Didn’t get to see the whale but will have to some back when they are in season

Great Sightings, we saw southrend right whales breaching left and right side of the boat. The marine biologists and shark conservationists from Marine Dynamics really care about these majestic creatures and make sure all goes safe and well. Amazing experience.

We were really lucky with the weather & had a beautiful sunny trip. We saw whales, a penguin at sea, seals & the biologists on board were more than happy to share their knowledge. Very friendly crew keen to ensure everyone had a safe & enjoyable trip. It was African Penguin day & there was a short presentation, passionately delivered, about how endangered this lovely little creature is. Just be aware they operate out of Gansbai so there is a 35-40 min transfer from Hermanus. Would definitely recommend this trip...

we were lucky,a sunny day in August and a calm ocean,no wurries about sea sickness. After a warm welcome at the hotel,information about the trip,the wildlife and safy instructins,we got clicked in a lifevest and a rain jacket to keep us safe and dry. We got on the boat at the harbour and as soon as we drove out at the ocean there was a couple of whales in front of us! We stayed long enough to enjoy the view and take pictures. We visited the little islands with the seals and the penguins,saw the boat with the shark spotters.We felt very welcome and safe with the personel on board who informed us about the animals we saw and anwered all our questions. They kept a close eye on us for our safety on board and asked if we were ok and not feeling sick. When we got back to the hotel they were waiting for us with soup and little buns. Thank you Dyer for a very nice morning sea life spotting.

Our trip was postponed due to the bad weather and even on the day we went, it was very choppy (we could have cancelled and had a refund though). We saw a few whales but I think the sightings would have been better if the sea was calmer. Very friendly and attentive staff. Safety was important to them and we were fitted with life jackets and waterproof jackets. We also managed to see the seal colony but the weather/waves were too bad for us to see the penguins on Dyer Island. On our return, soup and rolls were served in the restaurant are (good gift shop there too).

All the staffing were very nice. Very personable and knowledgeable. The boat was big and comfortable. No inside seating or roof as you are really out in the elements. Very easy and very laidback.

friendly marine biologist on board, crew knows the area, everything needed is provided. Fotos take a little bit long to be online. You also have to see that your shuttle driver takes you with, at the main house you have to ask the staff where to go, else you might be left there without a shuttle.

Building the excitment as we left the harbour in search f the Marine Big 5. First we saw a Bottle Nosed dolphine, followed quickly by 3 penguins frolicking in the ocean. Then a small seal chasing a fish for its lunch, and then 3 bronze whaler sharks, quite close to our boat. Just as we started to turn to head back, Thar She Blows, and we came acorss a beautiful Southern Right whale, giving us a great view and a final big wave of its tale, as we left the animal in peace. A great boat ride, great informative crew, and a chance to meet Wilfred the owner. If you have time after your cruise, visit the Seabird Sancturay, very close by in Gansbaii, and see the incredible Conservation work carried out on injured birds and animals, we saw a small penguin who had just been rescuded, gave me chills all over, knowing there are many people out there who care.

This tour started out great even before it started. First, I was contacted by the tour director to let me know that there was weather and rough seas and that the tour needed to be rescheduled. Rescheduling was simple, I just told them when I wanted to go. They scheduled the van to pick me up at my hotel in Cape Town. The van was actually early and not late. Once we arrived at the safari location, 2 and a half hours away, we were warmly greeted and plied with coffee and muffins. The tour guide was able to answer every single one of my many, many, many questions during the tour. Her personality was perfect for a tour guide. Once back on land we were given hot soup and coffee to warm up then we were driven back to Cape Town. The tour part of this safari was to be expected. It was the constant communication from the director that sold me on this. She went above and beyond to keep me informed and that sets this tour apart from the others. As a person all by himself, 8000 miles from home, good communication means everything.

Had a great time,very well organised,weather misty,they said could have full refund which was unusual,but we all went,sea very rough,saw all things except dolphins,but the two humpbacks which I personally spotted before anyone else was the icing on the cake for me,crew were brill and very informative.would use them again.

We had a great tour! The crew was super nice and considerate, and the marine biologist was very enthousiastic. They make sure you see at least some wildlife, but do it in a very respectful way and they have tons of projects to support the local marine wildlife.

Information on Viator-Homepage were partially wrong (boat trip is in reality only 2-3 hours; departure from Gansbaii). But a great onsite-service of the operator saved the day and we had a great time. We are really happy about the accommodating solution.