Alan Tours

THE BIG 7 SAFARI–WHITE SHARKS & BLACK ROCKS (OV33)

At a Glance

• Tour duration: 2 days / 1 night
• Group size: 2 to 6 people per tour
• Tour departs from: Port Elizabeth
• Price: From R13500 to R16500 per person

Tour Highlights

• Boat trip in Algoa Bay
• Black Rocks home to over 7000 Cape Fur Seals and Great White Sharks
• Seasonal Great Whales in the form of the Southern Right and Humpback Whales
• Woody Cape dune fields, a vast expanse of aeolian or shifting dunes
• St Croix with its breeding colony of African penguins and bottlenose Dolphins
• Game drive in the malaria free Addo Elephant National Park with 700 free roaming elephants
• The BIG 7: elephants, Lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard, whale and shark
• Zebra, warthog and many antelope species
• Birds, reptiles and dung beetles
• Biodiversity

Suitable for those interested in Cruise, Whale Watching, Wildlife

Itinerary

1. DAY 1: Port Elizabeth to Algoa Bay, Bird Island, Port Elizabeth

   With this diversity in mind, we meet you at your place of residence at 6:45 am and drive you to the small boat harbour in Port Elizabeth. We prepare for an exciting day on the protected waters of Algoa Bay. After the safety briefing, we set sail in a south easterly direction passed Cape Recife and its Lighthouse.
   
   Our route is designed to take us into the seasonal migration path of the Humpback Whales as they make their way either further north when they first arrive or on their return journey after they leave the northern extent of their migration to return back into the waters of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica itself.
   
   These Whales will often be seen tail and fin slapping, breaching or simply cruising passed our boat providing us with amazing sightings of these gigantic creatures. Once we get into the path of the migration, we change course and head north east, following their path as we set course for Bird Island. It will take about 3 hours at sea to arrive at the islands, taking into consideration time spent stopping to watch the wildlife en route.
   
   We set anchor at Bird Island in the lee of Black Rocks and the seal colony for this is where we are likely to find the Great Whites lurking in wait for any unwary seals. It will take around 30 minutes for the sharks to scent the presence of the boat and come closer to investigate the intruder to their waters. While we wait, we take a light lunch and refreshment on board the boat.
   
   Once the Great Whites arrive, there is a sense of excitement, intoxicated by the presence of these apex predators, we watch, as they circle the boat sometimes coming right up and touching the vessel; there is a focus, a sense of being drawn in, to the primordial power of these predators that find themselves at the very peak of the evolutionary scale.
   
   We spend between an hour to two hours here before packing up and running back home along the incredibly beautiful Woody Cape dune fields, a vast expanse of aeolian or shifting dunes, as we make our way parallel to the coast to the largest Island in the Bay, St Croix. It is while running along the coastline that we can anticipate spotting a pod or two of Bottlenose Dolphins surfing the shore break along the coast. There is a good possibility of getting some great photo opportunities with these playful marine mammals breaching through the back of the sunlit swells. We soon arrive at St Croix with its breeding colony of African penguins and in most cases a pod of Bottlenose dolphins.
   
   We make our final run back to the harbour after an exhilarating day on the ocean in one of the wildest places left on this planet.
   
   After getting your shore legs back we board the tour vehicle and return to your overnight accommodation.
   
   

   OVERNIGHT: Guest house or Bed and Breakfast

2. DAY 2: Port Elizabeth to Addo Elephant National Park

   Pick up at 7:30 am at your accommodation and depart for the Addo Elephant National Park, After check in and a comfort break, we immediately start the game viewing experience.
   
   The park is home to close to 700 free roaming Elephants and we can look forward to viewing many other species including the Big 5 which includes the Cape Buffalo, Lion, Black Rhino and the shy Leopard amongst the many species of antelope such as the elegant Kudu, the males with the great spiraled horns, the huge but gentle Eland, Red Hartebeest and others as well as Warthog and the unique Zebra.
   
   Many colourful species of birds will entertain and other reptiles as well as tortoises.
   
   Making our way through the park from south to north we stop at mid-morning for a cup of fresh coffee or tea and to stretch our legs at the picnic site in the park.
   
   After the comfort break we head back out passing a few of the popular waterholes as we head north for the main camp where we enjoy a light lunch at the park restaurant before once again heading south, game viewing all along the way in this world class facility before returning to your accommodation in Port Elizabeth at approx 18:00 – 18:30 hrs an end of Alan Tours services.

   TOUR ENDS

Note

Tour includes:

• 2 day professional guided tour, fuel, vehicle, guide
• 1 night accommodation as per itinerary
• Boat trip
• Entrance/conservation fees Addo National Park
• Activities as per itinerary
• Meals as per itinerary
• Bottled water in the tour vehicle

Tour excludes:

* Dinner
• Alcoholic beverages
• Activities not mentioned in the above
• Tips/gratuities