Do whales have hair?

Question: Do Whales Have Hair?

Whales are mammals, and one of the characteristics common to all mammals is the presence of hair. We all know that whales aren't furry creatures, so where do whales have hair?

Answer:
There are over 80 species of whales, and hair is only visible in some. Whales have hair on their heads as fetuses, but they don't always keep it. Some of the larger baleen whales have visible hair. One great example is the humpback whale, which has golf ball-sized bumps on its head. Within each of these bumps, called tubercles, there is a hair follicle.

Other examples include the right whale, which has hairs on its chin and upper jaw, and the bowhead whale, which has hairs on its lips, chin, snout and behind its blowhole.

Since hair is not needed for warmth, scientists think the hair serves as a sensory structure, and may be used in social or sexual situations, or for calves communicating a need to nurse.

Baleen whales also have hairlike structures in their mouth called baleen, which is made of keratin, a substance found in hair and nails.

2010 Spring Splash in Pictures

The annual Spring Splash is held on Fish Hoek beach on the Sunday closest to the 1 Sept each year to celebrate spring on the Cape Point Route!

It's free, it's fun and these pictures may inspire you to join in the fun in 2011!

This year the theme was wildlife in Fish Hoek and the day started with a sandbuilding competition, followed by a kiddies Tresure Hunt, some Karaoke singing, line dancing on the beach and the BIG SPRING SPLASH which involves a whole bunch of people running into the sea at the same time to celebrate spring!

Special thanks to Clifford Wyeth for these pictures.
Visit his website www.wyethphotography.co.za

IMAGES: All Courtesy of Clifford Wyeth
1. Rush for the Water
2. Sunshine in the Water (the sunshine ladies swim every day on Fish Hoek Beach!)
3. A Hug (winner of the most graceful exit with MC and comedian Mark Sampson)
4. "Peoples Post" dive
5. Spring Splash Dance (almost a world record for line dancing?)

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Logging and Slapping

The Southern Right Whales in front of our Cape Point Route office in Glencairn were “logging” and “slapping” today. Logging is when the whale is basically “hanging out” and resting – no cruising, no movement forwards, just chilling out at the surface of the water with a fin showing above the water or exposing a bit of skin above the surface!

There was a little slapping going on too and let me tell you this does not mean bashing the other whale on the head! Slapping occurs when the whale lifts its flippers and lets them crash onto the surface of the water in a slapping motion!

Lobtailing is usually a more common behavioural pattern and that is when the whale goes upside down with its head under water and it’s tail is exposed and then slammed onto the surface of the water. Although this is more common behaviour for Southern Right Whales I think the ones in front of our office were tired from ‘showing off’ this weekend for all the visitors to the Cape Point Route!

Whales are plentiful in False Bay at the moment– so much so that there was a temporary closure of Boyes Drive (scenic road between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay) due to traffic jams from whale watchers!

Like breaching, no –one knows for sure why whales lobtail and slap but it has been suggested that it is a form of non-verbal communication. Some scientists have suggested that is a form of foraging as the slap is so loud that that it frightens fish into a tight school making it easier for whales to feed on them!

Our only problem with this theory is that Southern Right Whales don’t eat fish! (Humpback whales do though!)

Southern Right whales are baleen- feeding whales that use a comblike strainer of baleen plates and bristles to ensnare tiny morsels of food as they swim – so they literally skim the water by swimming slowly with their mouths open and are constantly eating – zooplankton, krill and other tiny organisms.

If you want to get up close and personal - book a whale watching boat trip. Trips leave daily from Simon's Town Harbour at 9am, 12 noon and 14h30 (weather dependent)
Cost is R800 for adults and R500 for children for the 3 hour boat trip.

Bookings: 021 782 9356
Email: info@capepointroute.co.za

IMAGES:
Courtesy of D. Hurwitz - Simon's Town Boat Company and E. Sittig - Germany

Why do Whales Breach?

The Southern Right Whales have been very visual and active the last few days! It is well worth a drive down to the Cape Point Route to see these amazing creatures or a weekend away on the peninsula. Despite being regular “whale snobs” – we can’t deny how incredible a sight it is to see these enormous creatures leaping out of the water (sometimes twirling around in the air). This action is called breaching and we have been trying to find out WHY whales breach. We know it’s not to breathe – they surface to the water for that!

It seems that there is no specific answer and we have heard all sorts of theories. If anyone knows for sure we’d be grateful if you could enlighten us!

• This action may be done purely for play
• It may be used to loosen skin parasites and other irritations the whale might have.
• Breaching is also believed to be a means of communication with other whales (It has been thought that it may be to transmit a message to members of their group)
• It could be a technique to help them feed by stunning or scaring prey.
• And we’ve heard that it is mating signal – like male birds do to show off in front of their females!

We do know that Southern Right whales are intelligent, inquisitive and sensitive animals, and usually form small social groups of about six related animals. In the breeding season cow and calf pairs can often been seen cavorting in the water together. The way mother and child breach alternately, one after the other, suggests that this and other behaviour may be taught.

Southern rights are willing performers for onlookers, often breaching several times in succession to hit the water again with a cannon-blast sound. Another characteristic behaviour, unique to the right whale, is resting head-down in the water for several minutes with the flukes held aloft, as if hoping to be pushed along by the wind - variously called "sailing" or "head-standing".

Then there's flipper slapping, lobtailing - slapping the tail on the water - and spyhopping, raising the massive head to see above the surface. Their huge curiosity often prompts them to approach boats to investigate - a trait with tragic consequences in the days of the whalers.

Breaching requires a lot of effort! Whales are massive! Southern Right Females are larger than males and average 16.5 metres in length, whilst the males average about 15.2 metres in length. Southern Right whales weigh about 54 000kg!!!

By comparison a Blue Whale (which is the biggest creature on earth) is about 33 metres in length and weighs about 136 – 150 000kg! The African elephant (which is the largest animal on land) is about 3 – 4 metres tall and just over 3 metres in length (not counting it’s trunk) and weighs between 7 500 – 12 000 kg. So a Southern Right Whale jumping out the water is about 5 elephants propelling themselves out the water!

You can view the whales from land (see our blog post on best whale watching spots) or try a boat based whale watching trip. Whale Watching Trip details:
Daily departures (weather dependent): 09h00; 12h00; 14h30
Cost: R800 adults; R500 children
Duration: 3 hours
Departs: Simon’s Town
Bookings: 021 782 9356
Email: info@capepointroute.co.za

IMAGES:
1. Southern Right Whale Breaching - courtesy of Dave Hurwitz - ST Boat Company
2. Whale Comparison Chart - Google images
3. Southern Right Whale landing after a breach - Google images


Cape Point Route offers a wide range of Accommodation, Activities,
Attractions, Restaurants, Venues, Shops, Tours and Packages on the
CAPE PENINSULA, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Top Whale Watching spots

Cape Point Route spotted our first whale of the season on the 23 June 2010, but the Southern Right Whales are starting to appear more regularly and in greater numbers. This morning there was a huge pod of dolphins swimming from Fish Hoek southwards to Cape Point. What an amazing place we live in! I just love this time of year – the waters of False Bay are calm

There is a regional Whale Spotting and General Information Line: 079 391 2105 and they publish a weekly sightings log. Please call if you see a whale!

Since the 1 May 2010 there have been 136 sightings (not whales as often there is more than one whale hanging out). You can check out the most updated sightings here

Cape Point Route’s Top 10 Whale Watching Sites: (these are land based!)

1. Boyes Drive – gorgeous scenic mountain pass between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay.
2. Kalk Bay –. Hot tip: Walk the Muizenberg – St James walkway along the coastline
3. Clovelly – at the northern side of Fish Hoek Bay – either from the beach or the mountainside.
4. Jager’s walk – Fish Hoek – undulating coastal path between Fish Hoek Beach and Sunny Cove.
5. Sunny Cove – Fish Hoek
6. Glencairn Beach - Hot tip: have a meal on the deck of Southern Right Hotel to watch the whales.
7. Boulders – Smitzwinkelbaai - Simon's Town (including Froggy Pond and Murdoch Valley). Hot tip: stay at Boulders Beach Lodge or Whale View Manor for great views.
8. Cape Point Nature Reserve – Hot Tip: Eat at the Two Oceans Restaurant whilst you whale watch.
9. Misty Cliffs – Kommetjie: The road above Slangkoppunt Lighthouse has awesome views and excellent whale watching spots. Or go up the lighthouse for a different view!
10. Chapman’s Peak Drive: One of the most spectacular coastal roads on the planet running between Noordhoek and Hout Bay. Did you know fees for the toll road are now R30 for light vehicle.

This list is by no means complete and almost the entire coastline of the Cape Point Route becomes a whale watching feast. Peak season starts NOW and runs through to mid-October. You are almost guaranteed to see whales but sometimes you need to be patient as you watch for the subtle blow. Wind free days make sightings easier.

What to take: binoculars and your camera! Send us your pictures – we love whale shots!

For a seriously incredible experience book a boat based whale watching trip which operates from Simon’s Town. It is spine tingling, jaw dropping stuff to be within metres of these massive creatures of the sea where you can see the barnacles clinging to their skin and hear the whale song. Boat based whale watching requires a special permit to ensure that the whales are viewed without being harmed so be sure to use a licenced operator.

Whale Watching Trip details:
Daily departures (weather dependent): 09h00; 12h00; 14h30
Cost: R800 adults; R500 children
Duration: 3 hours
Departs: Simon’s Town
Bookings: 021 782 9356
Email: info@capepointroute.co.za

IMAGES:
1. Humpback Whale Tail - courtesy of D.Hurwitz Simon's Town Boat Company
2. Boat based whale watching - courtesy of Calders Hotel
3. Whale watching - by German Visitor Eva Sittig
4. Whales watching in False Bay - courtesy of German visitor Eva Sittig

Cape Point Route offers a wide range of Accommodation, Activities, ttractions, Restaurants, Venues, Shops, Tours and Packages on the CAPE PENINSULA, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Spring Splash 2010 - Sunday 5 Sept.

Live on the Wild side! Article courtesy of the Peoples Post Community Newspaper False Bay

START having cold water showers, because it’s training time for the annual Fish Hoek Spring Splash!

Held on the first Sunday in September, the Spring Splash will put an instant spring in your step (or, at least, a cold twitch in the one toe that still has feeling left after the swim).

Everyone – sane and insane – is invited to join in this hearty Fish Hoek tradition on Sunday 5 September.

If you love the slightly eccentric gees of Fish Hoek, step forward to the starting line just before 15:00, when the countdown will take place. At exactly 15:00, the signal will sound for the mad dash into the water to welcome the calendar start of spring. Of course, thanks to global warming and other inscrutable mysteries, the calendar is not always right – but what the heck, someone needs to take the lead.

Celebrate your victory afterwards with warming refreshments at reduced prices for all swimmers, served up by the Galley Restaurant.

Families are encouraged to make a day of it. There will be fun activities for children, from 10:00, presented by the Mad Hatters business coalition.

The theme for the Spring Splash is “Wildlife in Fish Hoek” and participants must dress up in outrageous outfits to fit the bill. The best outfit will win a mystery prize!

Be there if you’ve got what it takes!

For more information, phone Manu Choudree on 072 980 4335.

Check out images from a previous Spring Splash here

Cape Point Route offers a wide range of Accommodation, Activities,
Attractions, Restaurants, Venues, Shops, Tours and Packages on the
CAPE PENINSULA, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Images courtesy of Grant Johnson: www.silverfoxphoto.co.za and Cape Point Route

Hollywood’s Halle Berry in Simon’s Town

Halle Berry and co-star Olivier Martinez are filming their new movie “Dark Tide” in Simon’s Town on the Cape Point Route. It’s not everyday that Hollywood hangs out in the naval town and residents have been trying to catch glimpses of the stars between shooting scenes for the movie.

‘Dark Tide’ is directed by John Stockwell and is an action thriller that is due to be released in 2011. In the film, the many-time-voted-sexiest star Halle Berry plays the role of a diving instructor called Sara, who survives a near-fatal shark attack and faces the difficult decision of getting back into the water. Halle Berry will be getting into a shark cage near Seal Island in False Bay.

This is a perfect shooting spot for the movie as Seal Island is well renowned for the breaching great white sharks that concentrate near Seal Island during the South African winter which is also breeding season for the great white sharks. Visitors to Cape Town can go great white shark cage viewing and/or diving from Simon’s Town.

‘Dark Tide’ movie synopsis:
Sara (Halle Berry) is a modern-day adventurer, deeply drawn to close encounters with the magnificent White Sharks who rule the primal predator shore of isolated Guadalupe island. When her husband chooses ambition over his wife's safety in a split second encounter with the jaws of death, her marriage nearly breaks apart. A year later, a monsoon season voyage back to the same island becomes an escalating series of terrifying underwater confrontations and gut-wrenching emotional challenges. Testing her courage in the face of nature's ultimate terror, she shows herself as tough as the men she is attracted to; and perhaps bravest of all Sara endures and changes the terms of the contest with mankind's most feared underwater predator.

The movie has caused some controversy however and Alison Kock, a shark conservationist from Save our Seas Foundation in Kalk Bay is reported to have said, “The first script that we got sounded very much like it had a thriller aspect to it and a personal kind of aspect to it as well. But fighting off a shark, or surviving a shark attack - we couldn't see the positive side of that, as much as we tried to. After reading the script we decided it was not something we would like to put our names to. Obviously our mandate is to try to change people's perceptions of sharks, and the situation in Cape Town is quite sensitive.”

The Filmmakers do have a permit from Marine and Coastal Management and scenes are being shot in Simon’s Town harbour and a local team of marine professionals have been hired to provide support during filming. Local stunt co-ordinators have also been contracted.
For the movie, a tent town of caravans and marquees has been set up in the parking lot of Simon’s Town’s Seaforth Beach. The area is popular for its natural bays which are ideal for swimming. It is also situated next to Boulders Beach - one of the only places where people can swim alongside African penguins and a major tourist attraction on the Cape Point Route.
For shark cage diving bookings please contact Cape Point Route on 021 782 9356 or email: info@capepointroute.co.za

Cape Point Route offers a wide range of Accommodation, Activities,
Attractions, Restaurants, Venues, Shops, Tours and Packages on the
CAPE PENINSULA, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

All images from Google Images