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WHALE Migration Celebrations start in Gqeberha this year, fitting as the city is now recognised as one of only six Whale Heritage Sites in the World.

The event being held at The Willows Holiday Resort & Conference Centre this weekend (June 4 2023) aims to celebrate these magnificent marine mammals who visit our beautiful Algoa Bay during their migration journey. The day will be a family-orientated educational experience intended for all to learn something and of course, have fun at the same time. 

Visitors will be welcomed by the sounds of African drums and marimbas. 

According to Karen Keeton of Raggy Charter – who has been involved with whale migration celebrations since 2018 – Many Bay residents aren’t aware of the gems on their doorsteps.

“All who live in Gqeberha should celebrate this event and learn about the marine life that is resident and passing through every year. We all need to learn about marine life, enjoy it and take care of it.”

Last year they increased the number of festivals in Southern Africa to 30, all the way from Libreville in Gabon on the West Coast to Watamu in Kenya on the East Coast.

This route and these celebrations are put together by Raggy Charters and Algoa Baywatch under the banner of The World Cetacean Alliance, and all whale enthusiasts and conservation organisations along the African coastline.

All 30 locations will be celebrating the Humpback Whales who make this long journey, the longest migration of all mammals.

“It is about creating awareness of the importance of migrating whales in the ecosystem.  The whales feed, poop, migrate, and dive deep (which circulates essential nutrients throughout the ocean).  This behaviour supports healthy marine ecosystems and the growth of phytoplankton, which locks in a huge amount of carbon from the atmosphere. We are very happy to inform all that due to becoming protected, the humpback whale population has recovered from near extinction.  There is a current population of about 80,000, up from a very low 10,000.”

Talks will be presented in the function room at the Willows Resort starting at 9.15 am. Talks will be started by SST on the History of Whaling in Algoa Bay. This is followed by a talk by NSRI on whale disentanglements with a demonstration of the disentanglement process. The third talk will be presented by Dr Julien Benoit, a French Paleontologist currently working at the University of Witwatersrand. The final talk of the day will be by Lloyd Edwards owner of Raggy Charters on Whale Migration and Communication.

Come and enjoy a day filled with a mix of celebrating the magnificent humpback whale migration, education, exhibitions, live music, food trucks and so much more. Fun for the whole family at the coastal venue The Willows Resort for only R20 per person.