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
4.6
(90 Ratings)
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Stephanies7382
Nov 18, 2025
Whales and dolphins - Very nice staff, have seen whales, Define and seals. The life jackets are there. I would recommend putting on a jacket as it can get fresh (and a little wet depending on the swell)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Loanne_l
Nov 18, 2025
Whale of a time - We saw a beautiful whale, two different types of dolphins, seals and lovely sights. The team was lovely.
Review provided by Viator
Roam53643864634
Nov 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic experience with Ocean Odyssey Knysna! - The tour was a highlight of our stay. The team is professional, friendly and superbly organised – you always feel safe and in good hands. Best of all: We actually saw whales because the crew remained incredibly persistent and engaged. Their patience and dedication were absolutely worth it and made the trip unforgettable. The coastal landscape, the exciting information and the great atmosphere on board completed the experience perfectly. Clear recommendation!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oliver_q
Nov 10, 2025
Trusted provider - The tour started as planned. When we left the bay we already saw the very high waves. After a good 10 minutes the skipper stopped the boat and said it was already very extreme conditions and we would probably not see any whales. For this reason, he would advise termination. The group agreed and so it went back. Once on land we learned that we can arrange a new appointment or get a part refunded. Few expected that.
Review provided by Viator
Svenmerseburg
Oct 29, 2025
Must have in Knysna!! We will repeat. - Very big cinema, what you experience and see on the sea. The passage of the Heads alone is worth the experience and Johannes alone makes the boat tour on the coast a very big experience. Great team, very nice and fair. Unfortunately we didn't see whales, but a huge dolphin school (almost in the boat) and many seals accompanied us for a long time. The permanent view of the coast is fantastic. Travel tablet for vulnerable is recommended. We were outside in calm seas, but the sight from land is deceptive. Many thanks to the entire team. Great!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anne
Oct 23, 2025
Lifetime Experience. Wonderful tour. - This trip exceeded our expectations. Friendly , professional staff from the get go. The onboard tour guide was knowledgeable & informative & towards the end of our time, when we were yet to spot Whales(although plenty of Dolphins, birds & a sea Lion) & were inbound to shore, immediately turned the boat round & raced to where a radio communication had informed a sighting. We were able to witness a close encounter with a humpback & her calf. We also went through caves & cliffs. Thoroughly enjoyed our morning. Thank You.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Malcolm_t
Oct 12, 2025
A great whale watching experience and a must do in Knysna - A great experience to see whales in their natural habitat- although rather choppy waters we got to enjoy watching humpback whales fin & tail slapping but best of all breaching- we highly recommend !
Review provided by Viator
Suzanne
Oct 11, 2025
Excellent! - Lovely boat and really committed staff - we saw humpback whales with calves. Obviously no-one can guarantee sightings but we couldn’t have done much better!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tanjagj8706mf
Oct 19, 2025
Waste of time - This was a colossal waste of time and money. The staff were all nice and professional, the security briefing was reasonable. It was explained that in nature, there can be no prediction if we will see anything BUT it was emphasised that tours will only go out when the spotters have previously seen something. So we went out and got driven around for two hours through wind and rain, and all we got to see was a dead seal and three other seals in a different spot, otherwise nothing. I assume they knew exactly that that was nothing to see out there, anyway they went straight into the rainstorm…
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Foodiejds
Dec 6, 2025
Cancelled last minute... - Highly disappointing to be advised via WhatsApp just one hour before the trip that it would be cancelled as nobody else has booked for the midday trip. Had we been given more notice we could have brought other guests from our accom, arranged an alternative time or tour for what was to be one of the highlights of our SA trip. Pretty amateur approach.
Review provided by Tripadvisor