Ocean Safaris
Ocean Safaris
4.5
About
Ocean safaris whale and dolphin watching We are legally permitted to conduct close encounter experiences !!!! Exploring the bay for over 10 years, Ocean Safaris, a family run business, lets the wildlife and weather shape your journey, giving you a unique opportunity to see some of the ocean’s largest and most mysterious inhabitants in their natural environment.We are fair trade and green ticket accredited. What do I bring along? Yourself, your family and your friends. There is no particular dress, we suggest you wear comfortable clothing and shoes and bring along a jacket. Sun screen, hat and sunglasses are also good items to pack. Camera’s and other gadgets are allowed on board at your own risk. What will I be doing? Exploring the coastline and rich waters in and around our bay, searching for whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, seabirds and more. Come on a voyage of discovery as you search for Plettenberg Bays majestic creatures of the deep. What will I see? Our climate is changing and these changes seem to be affecting our marine life, in particular the Southern Rights. Over the past two years, sightings of Southern Right whales have dropped, but we see more Brydes and Humpbacks than before. Our dolphin sightings are awesome and include the playful Bottlenose, energetic Commons and the highly endangered Humpbacked dolphins. A variety of sea birds are sighted as well as the ever growing Cape Fur seal population. We see many different animals that come into our bay to say hello. Particular species cannot be guaranteed as these animals are being viewed in their natural environment but times of year can depict their occurrence. This is a true “seafari” and every one is different, you never know what you will find …. How will I know what to look for? Highly qualified and experienced marine guides aboard will guide you through the different species you are likely to encounter, showing you how to identify them and where to look. They will be on hand to answer any questions you might have, talk about the history, geology and wildlife during your adventure! What about the boats? Ocean Safaris boats are inspected regularly by the South Africa Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). With over 10 years of experience operating marine tours in the area ensures we have the right vessel and equipment to help guarantee your safety on every tour. Where is ocean safaris? Milkwood Centre, Hopwood Street, Central Beach , Plettenberg bay GPS: 23° 23.344' E 34° 03.354' S Due to limited numbers, all trips require prior booking. Don’t miss your place! Please note all cruises are weather dependent and at skipper’s discretion an alternative vessel may be used at times
These cruises get you as close as legally possible to unforgettable encounters with whales, dolphins and seals at work and play.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- Hilary G21 contributionsA whale of a time!Without a doubt giving the seal of approval! We had a whale of a time with PK and the Ocean Safaris crew! After being out in the morning and being unsuccessful in spotting any whales (even though we saw loads of beautiful dolphins), we went out on a second later tour where our minds were blown as we got to hang out with 3 incredible humpback whales. Thank you all 🐳 🐳🐳 a highlight of our South African honeymoon 👩🏼🤝👨🏻Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 November 2023
- Alicia4 contributionsHIGHLY RECOMMENDExperience of a lifetime. Service is impeccable from the office to the boat. Marlin, Andy and Olivia were all wonderful. Such an informative tour. We even got to see the Marlin and Andy, save a seal pup from drowning. 10 out of 10Visited December 2023Travelled with familyWritten 4 December 2023
- Kimberley K32 contributionsA great worthwhile family outingA wonderful whale watching tour! The guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The boat was comfortable and handled the waves well. We saw seals, lots of dolphins and a whale and calf. A lovely outing for grown ups and kids.Visited July 2024Travelled with familyWritten 4 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
147 reviews
Excellent
114
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16
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9
Poor
3
Terrible
6
Andrea C
Port Elizabeth, South Africa1 contribution
May 2021 • Couples
We booked to go dolphin watching with Ocean Safari and we did not have a good experience. We had checked the weather beforehand and wanted to go when the weather was still pleasant as it was forecast to have a serious storm in the area on the Thursday of that week. We booked well in advance to go on the dolphin watching on the Wednesday at 09:30, which was rescheduled by the Ocean Safari on the morning of our trip to the next day at 09:30, and was again rescheduled by Ocean Safari to 12:00 on the Thursday. We raised our concerns about the weather as everyone in Plett had warned us about the storm coming, but we were reassured it was fine. Even though there were delays, we were still excited.
We got to our thrice rescheduled booking well before 12:00, only to have to wait for the late passengers to join and then only embarked on the boat at 12:40. The owner of the company made these decisions to delay, knowing that the weather wasn’t going to last. The weather started to turn very bad when we were out past Robberg and it was not safe. PK, the guide, and Nico, the skipper, did their best under the circumstances.
Words cannot describe how terrifying this experience was. The waves were enormous and were bucking the boat, with the wind threatening to push us further out to sea. It was a terrifying experience but luckily we got back safely thanks to the excellent work of Nico and PK. When we got back they refunded everyone, but the company and owner put all of our lives at risk. I urge the owner of Ocean Safari to read this and understand that this was totally unnecessary. Please do not let this happen to anyone else again.
We got to our thrice rescheduled booking well before 12:00, only to have to wait for the late passengers to join and then only embarked on the boat at 12:40. The owner of the company made these decisions to delay, knowing that the weather wasn’t going to last. The weather started to turn very bad when we were out past Robberg and it was not safe. PK, the guide, and Nico, the skipper, did their best under the circumstances.
Words cannot describe how terrifying this experience was. The waves were enormous and were bucking the boat, with the wind threatening to push us further out to sea. It was a terrifying experience but luckily we got back safely thanks to the excellent work of Nico and PK. When we got back they refunded everyone, but the company and owner put all of our lives at risk. I urge the owner of Ocean Safari to read this and understand that this was totally unnecessary. Please do not let this happen to anyone else again.
Written 20 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen M
Halifax, UK113 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This review would have had a higher rating if it wasn't for the attitude of the woman signing us in. We were booked on the 12pm trip but received a message at 8.30am the day of the trip asking if we could arrive at 9.30am which we couldn't. I phoned the number and was asked to be at the meeting point for 11am.
On arrival the woman signing us in said we were very early. I replied we had been asked to turn up at 11am to which her reply was ... " you should have been here for 9.30 " I told her we weren't given enough notice and quite honestly her attitude made me really annoyed and I nearly told her to cancel the whole thing but I decided to walk away and hope the trip improved. I have no idea why we were asked to arrive at 11am considering the boat was still out on the earlier trip. We actually set off at 12 as originally scheduled so the message we got about going early because of the high tide was obviously a load of rubbish.
We were introduced to PK our guide and given life jackets and taken to the boat. PK and the skipper were really knowledgeable and explained about the different types of whales.
After a short time out at sea we spotted our first HumpBack. We kept a good distance but had a fantastic view. We saw 4 humpback ( 2 mothers and 2 babies ) we stayed with them for about 30mins watching them blow and rising out of the water then diving down.
After leaving the whales we made our way to see the Cape fur seals along the coast. There were hundred of them. It was great to see.
Overall we had a really great experience. I'd just say the signing in woman needs to check her attitude!
On arrival the woman signing us in said we were very early. I replied we had been asked to turn up at 11am to which her reply was ... " you should have been here for 9.30 " I told her we weren't given enough notice and quite honestly her attitude made me really annoyed and I nearly told her to cancel the whole thing but I decided to walk away and hope the trip improved. I have no idea why we were asked to arrive at 11am considering the boat was still out on the earlier trip. We actually set off at 12 as originally scheduled so the message we got about going early because of the high tide was obviously a load of rubbish.
We were introduced to PK our guide and given life jackets and taken to the boat. PK and the skipper were really knowledgeable and explained about the different types of whales.
After a short time out at sea we spotted our first HumpBack. We kept a good distance but had a fantastic view. We saw 4 humpback ( 2 mothers and 2 babies ) we stayed with them for about 30mins watching them blow and rising out of the water then diving down.
After leaving the whales we made our way to see the Cape fur seals along the coast. There were hundred of them. It was great to see.
Overall we had a really great experience. I'd just say the signing in woman needs to check her attitude!
Written 15 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StephenXXXXX
Port Elizabeth, South Africa831 contributions
Jun 2023
So glad we went out with Ocean Safaris, very professional and felt very safe. The Guys onboard were very knowledgeable and we certainly learnt a lot. Early in the season but lucky enough to see a Southern Right and great close ups of seals and coromonts.
Really enjoyed the whole trip and can thoroughly recommend Ocean Safaris for a great experience.
Really enjoyed the whole trip and can thoroughly recommend Ocean Safaris for a great experience.
Written 4 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew Low
1 contribution
Aug 2021
thank you Ocean Safaris for a great trip and great sightings of the whales and dolphins was an amazing experience.. thank you to Marlon, Ashwyn and PK for the awesome time we really enjoyed it. will defenitlyt recommend anyone to well worth it and supper friendly staff. thanks guys. will keep bringing guests and referring you
Written 6 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna J
Pretoria, South Africa8 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
I would give you 10 stars!!!! This was my second time and for my husband fifth time going for an ocean safari and we had a blast. Very friendly personnel in the office which gave honest suggestions on time to participate and very knowledgeable on the spot. We felt welcome and safe through out the entire trip. Those people know and love their job and it was seen. We had a good amount of knowledge shared with us at the most breathtaking experience. Last time we were fortunate to see a sea elephant fishing by the boat, this time we had a whale approaching the boat at a hand stretch. The fact that we were safe and the whale was safe was imperative. Whales were aware of us and they knew the boat, they knew we were not coming for harm. It was great to see them so close and to enjoy then playing and checking us out. We were escorted by them through out the entire trip. Never would have imagine. This was a birthday gift for my husband and it was one of a kind!!! Best regards from Anna and Reinard. We will definitely come again!!!
Written 7 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chanelle le Sueur
5 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
I would highly recommend Ocean safari, the staff is extremely friendly and ensure that you have the best time. We were blessed to see sharks , whales ,seals and fish on our boat ride. W loved the whole experience.
Written 30 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Historygirl5
Weymouth, UK163 contributions
Aug 2022 • Solo
Ashwin and PK made sure we saw as much as we could and it was amazing! We saw seals and hundreds (maybe) of dolphins in the 9am session but the whales were being elusive. Our group was offered another trip that day or the next for free, and many of us took the 2pm option and were successful!! We saw two or three humpbacks in the afternoon as well as some rather loud seals on the way back to base. An outstanding experience that I would thoroughly recommend. I would strongly suggest opting for an early trip then, if no whales appear, you have the option of doing it again.
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bev
4 contributions
Dec 2020 • Family
We had an amazing experience from booking to the actual day of the activity. The skipper, Ashwin, was friendly and made sure to give us the best views of the dolphins and seals. He was able to supply us with a lot of information regarding the area and the sea life. He is very passionate about what he does. The company adheres to strict Covid-19 regulations and ensured that all of their clients had a safe and wonderful experience.
Written 20 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Culture51080865893
1 contribution
Sept 2023 • Couples
We had the most amazing morning with Phakamile(PK) and his knowledgeable crew. We were just blown away by the sightings of the common dolphins in the bay, the playful seals and the peacefulness of the ocean - just simply amazing! This was worth every single cent and we will definitely send and recommend all our family and guests … WE WILL BE BACK!!
Written 13 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hilary G
21 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
Without a doubt giving the seal of approval! We had a whale of a time with PK and the Ocean Safaris crew! After being out in the morning and being unsuccessful in spotting any whales (even though we saw loads of beautiful dolphins), we went out on a second later tour where our minds were blown as we got to hang out with 3 incredible humpback whales. Thank you all 🐳 🐳🐳 a highlight of our South African honeymoon 👩🏼🤝👨🏻
Written 23 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ocean Safaris at Plettenberg Bay, as reviewed
Written 29 March 2019
Hello, we are planning to go there on December 26th. We want join ocean safari. And i have several questioln, do you have company mail address for guest?
Written 4 September 2017
Hi, are there any ocean safaris tomorrow morning? We are two people and would like to go there.
Written 13 February 2017
I'm quite late but they have two morning safaris, one at 9.00am and other at 12pm
Sorry for the late reply.
Written 16 February 2017
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