Port Elizabeth Wildlife Cruise Excursions

Malaria-Free Addo Elephant Park, Rhinos, Right Whale and Oceanarium

May 25, 2009

Port Elizabeth, on South Africa's scenic Eastern Cape Coast, has amazing wild game viewing in a day's cruise excursion, including rhinos, lions, whales and even penguins.

The Big Seven of Eastern Cape’s wildlife make an unlikely list – elephant, lion, black rhino, leopard, Cape buffalo, Great White sharks and Southern Right whales. But then Port Elizabeth is in a unique position. It’s at the very southern end of the range for African elephant, rhino and other game animals including leopard, zebra and many kinds of antelope, yet sharks, seals, migratory birds of the cold southern oceans and even penguins and whales breed along its spectacular coastline.

That’s a lot of wildlife in one day. Realistically, the choice is between an hour’s tour bus drive to Addo Elephant Park, transferring to smaller vehicles for wild game viewing – or less driving and more walking, with wildlife in controlled situations that provide better close-up opportunities.

Addo Elephant Park for Malaria-Free Game Watching

When Addo Elephant Park was founded (1931) the elephant population was down to eleven. Now Addo has over 450 elephants, making it one of the densest populations in the world. This huge swathe of land covering five South African biomes, from rugged forested ranges through open grassland and down to the largest coastal dune field in the southern hemisphere just north of Port Elizabeth. It is malaria-free, and the world’s only national park where all these animals can be seen:

Lion and occasional leopard sightings.
Cape buffalo, reckoned to be Africa’s most dangerously unpredictable animal.
Burchell’s zebra, eland and kudu.
Black rhino.
Many small antelope species, cheeky baboons and vervet monkeys.
Colonies of Cape fur seals and African penguins in the coastal section.

Oceanarium at Bayworld on Beach Road

Bayworld is a museum and aquaria complex in the heart of Port Elizabeth, and makes an excellent half-day excursion, especially for a family of different ages and interests.

Bayworld Museum is good for natural history as well as local history and Xhosa culture. A highlight is a 15 metre long skeleton of the last Southern Right whale harpooned in Algoa Bay (now Nelson Mandela Bay), with information about how the whales are now protected.
Oceanarium has one of the largest dolphin lakes in the world, with shows daily.
Underwater viewing of Great Whites, turtles and other large native marine.
The Seal Pool has is a colony of Cape fur seals and a breeding pairs of African penguins.
Snake Park, and the Tropical Tank full of colourful sea creatures.

Settlers Park Nature Reserve, Central Port Elizabeth

This one is mainly for bird-lovers – an 80-hectare reserve in a river valley near the town centre with between 50 and 140 species to be seen, depending on luck and season. A tour takes 2–3 hours. Local stars are peregrine falcons, five types of kingfisher, many jewel-like sunbirds, and the stunning Knysna turaco (green with a matching crest, long tail and bright red eye-ring).

Shamwari Game Reserve, Bushman’s River

For a return visit, Eastern Cape has several private reserves, including the prestigious Shamwari Game Reserve with luxury lodges in superb settings for viewing elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard.

The range of wildlife around Port Elizabeth always astonishes visitors, and a bonus is Eastern Cape’s malaria-free status. Choose June to November to catch the annual Southern Right whale migration along this spectacular coast.