23/10/2026
What a treat captured by Walkerbay Adventures — orcas are a rare sight in Walker Bay, which is why a sighting causes such a stir. Hermanus whale-watching guides describe orca sightings there as occasional, compared to the southern right whales that fill the bay every season.
Orcas (killer whales) are actually the largest member of the dolphin family, not true whales. Males can reach 8–9 m, with a tall, straight dorsal fin up to 1.8 m; females are smaller with a curved fin.
They live in tight family groups (pods) led by older females, and each pod has its own "dialect" of calls.
They're apex predators with no natural enemies, and highly intelligent — hunting techniques are taught and passed down through generations.
Orcas off our coast:
South African orcas mostly travel offshore, hunting fish, dolphins and seals, so seeing them close to shore is special. The most famous local orcas are Port and Starboard, a male pair with distinctive collapsed dorsal fins. They became known for hunting great white sharks around Gansbaai and Mossel Bay — even eating only the livers — and their presence is linked to the sharks largely disappearing from those areas. They've also been spotted in and around Walker Bay before, so if the sighting featured two males with floppy fins, it may well have been them.
Are they a risk to the southern rights?
Orcas sometimes target whale calves elsewhere in the world, but attacks on southern rights in Walker Bay are rarely recorded. People in the water are not at risk — there are no documented fatal attacks by wild orcas on humans.
Whales in the bay, fynbos on the hills, and a cosy spot to come home to. Book your Hermanus getaway at Villa Blu: 083 226 3144.
