Whale Watching Knysna: Encounter Whales in their Natural Environment

Experience the awe-inspiring beauty of whale watching in Knysna. Encounter Southern Right and Humpback whales in their natural environment, surrounded by picturesque scenery.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Ocean Odyssey Whale Watching Knysna - Guests will check in at our reception where they are required to sign an indemnity form. Once all guests have checked in our crew will start preparing them with life jackets. Once every one is ready they will be given a briefing on the tour they will be departing on and what to expect. A safety briefing will be given by the skipper once all guests have boarded the boat before departing.
What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Bottled water
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Witnessing whales in their natural habitat imprints an unforgettable experience on your heart- Knysna tops the chart for the ideal locations to make this happen!
As the only licensed operator in Knysna for close encounters with marine life, our crew is genuinely dedicated to showcasing our abundant aquatic creatures and our breathtakingly picturesque…

Location
Ocean Odyssey Whale Watching Knysna
Long Street
Travel down Long street, over the white little bridge and make your way on to Thesen Island. Just before you reach the traffic circle at the end of Long st our shop is located on the left hand side (Opposite The Time Machine and next to Diana Loon Boutique)
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(78 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
O6502jjrebeccar
Sep 6, 2025
An unforgettable experience! - The team was professional, knowledgeable, and made the entire whale watching tour truly special. We saw incredible sightings up close and learned so much. Everything felt safe, well-organised, and full of wonder. Highly recommend this company to anyone visiting South Africa! Thank you! Rebecca and Stuart (UK)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
168lenh
Aug 29, 2025
Great experience, highly recommended - We had a great trip with our guide Johannes. Great expertise and a lot of fun. We were lucky and had great sightings. Really worth it!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carladu462zv
Aug 13, 2025
Amazing experience - Such an amazing experience- well worth the boat travel queasiness! We saw humpback whales, many playful dolphins and some very chilled sunbathing seals. The company was very well run and I would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
400joannec
Aug 4, 2025
Wow! Super sea adventure - Found this company via a hotel we were staying at in Wilderness and booked through ‘Get Your Guide’. The staff contacted me a couple of days before the trip to say that the Skipper had advised that we move our booking to the day before due to weather/sea conditions. The safety briefing and Skipper made all passengers feel safe and we were fortunate enough to see hundreds of dolphins, penguins, sharks and whales up close. They are the only licensed tour operator in Knysna which means that they can get within 50m of the animals. The best part was seeing the whale ‘breach’!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mattwalesnorthwales
Jul 23, 2025
- You cannot make an appointment with a whale, so we were so thrilled to have seen 8 during our two hour experience. The lady in the booking office was quite offhand when we arrived saying we had to wait for the captain to return as he was checking out the conditions out at sea. Thankfully there is a coffee shop. However once the trip was confirmed everyone became super nice, fitting us out with a life jacket each and going over safety procedures. A quick walk via the public toilet and we were on our boat, a 25 seat flat-base powerboat. Everything was calm until we reached the area where the lagoon met the sea. The boat bounced from wave to wave, spray was flying and the ride began, separating the men from the boys, sea sickness was a thing that thankfully happened to others. Once out to sea there was a "spotter" who occupied a raised position so that he could get a better vantage for spotting these massive but elusive creatures. We saw a Southern Right Whale plus calf and six Humpback Whales that were so close you could hear them calling to each other. This was one of the most magical experiences of my life. Kinda explains how much I spent in the gift shop!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Flemos
Jul 19, 2025
Whales and dolphins - amazing experience! - Great experience where we were fortunate enough to see both humpback and southern right whales and three types of dolphins. The captain was obviously very experienced with a great system of a spotter on a hill communicating sightings that we could go to. Brilliant!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leabu4995ss
Jul 8, 2025
I will come again! - What a experience! Felt 100% save even with some big waves between the Knysna heads, afterwards the sea was very calm, almost no wind. Saw two Humpback Whales and followed them for a while. Great job, thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachna
Jun 30, 2025
Must watch for whales - Excellent sightings. Saw humpback whales and also a baby , It couldn’t be better. Our captain Joannes and his crew was the best
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Curiosity51044541016
Aug 18, 2025
Whale watching dream - An unforgettable experience. Definitely worth it! Went with my family and we enjoyed every moment of it. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Costanzaa538
Aug 26, 2025
Overpriced - The price is almost double compare to other tours especially those ones in Plettenberg bay without getting anything special. The tour lasted an hour and a half, which is crazy for the price. I feel robbed. The price is probably the reason why there were still spots on this tour, whereas the others were full.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $96
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).