Mobys Backpackers

Situation Profile

INTRODUCTION

Welcome To...

Hermanus, South Africa

Moby's Backpackers Lodge
Your hosts Jannie and Elmine, their dogs Milo and Dusty, and their cats Winnie, Twinkie and Jessie, welcome you to Moby's Backpackers, Hermanus, South Africa.

Facilities
Self-catering Kitchen
Budget Meals
Barbeque area
Vibey pub & pool table
DSTV, M-Net, VCR
Internet and Fax
Secure Parking
Swimming pool
Travel Info
Cycle hire

More reasons to choose Moby's
Free Muffins & Jam!
Dinner with shark trip!
Free Tea & Coffee!
Free Beach Shuttle!

Around Hermanus Town
Nestled between dramatic mountains and the restless Atlantic, Hermanus is one of South Africa's favourite seaside destinations. Small enough to maintain an authentic village feel, yet large enough to cater for all your needs, Hermanus boasts a wide range of activities, services, shops, restaurants, and nightlife.

Just one and a half hours' drive from Cape Town, Hermanus is a gateway to the renowned Garden Route. Moby's Backpackers is conveniently located just 5 minutes' walk from the town centre and Walker Bay.

Hermanus overlooks the beautiful Walker Bay, home of the Southern Right whale, and the town is recognised as offering the best land-based whale watching in the world. The many clifftop vantage points, linked by a network of scenic walking trails, ensure superb views of these exciting animals.

Jackass penguins, seals, and a variety of seabirds can also be seen. For the more daring, the bay offers the chance for a face-to-face encounter with the sinister great white shark. See Moby's special shark viewing deal!

In the mountains behind Hermanus lies Fernkloof Nature Reserve. The many hiking trails cater for the active and the not-so-active, and offer spectacular views over Hermanus and the bay.

Nature lovers will enjoy the diversity of life, incuding 111 species of birds and over 1,100 species of plants. Fernkloof is a haven for the fynbos vegetation, which is unique to the cape. Moby's Backpackers can provide transport to the reserve, which is about 20 minutes' walk from the town centre.

Whale Watching
Walker Bay is a breeding ground of the Southern Right whale, and from July through to December, these playful giants can be seen almost daily from the Hermanus waterfront, just a couple of minutes' stroll from Moby's. The whales are frequently found just metres from shore, and Hermanus has a reputation for providing visitors with the world's best shore-based whale watching.
These creatures have a fascinating variety of behaviours, including blowing, spy hopping, tail lobbing, and flipper waving, through to the spectacular breaching, where the entire 80-ton animal may leap clear of the water. Some behaviours are used for communication; others appear to be simply high spirits! In the Old Harbour Museum in Hermanus, you can listen to the whales "singing" by means of a hydrophone anchored in Walker Bay.

As well as shore-based whale watching, Moby's Backpackers can arrange boat-based whale watching trips, sightseeing cruises and sunset cruises on Walker Bay.

Whale Tales
Adult Southern Right whales can weigh from 50 to 80 tons, and measure up to 18 metres long.

A newborn calf weighs about 1 ton, and is 4-5 metres long. It is born tail-first and will drink up to 125 litres of milk a day to grow.

The callous-like skin growths around the whale's head are called callosities. Like a fingerprint, they are unique for each individual.

Like most mammals, Southern Right whales have hair -- mostly around their lips and chin.

Right whales are so named because they were the "right" whales to hunt -- they were slow-moving, floated when dead and provided plenty of whale oil.

When hunting of Southern Rights began, the population was some 200,000. By 1935 these gentle animals had been hunted almost to extinction -- only a few hundred remained.

Kayak Expeditions
Moby's Backpackers arrange daily guided sea kayak and canoe expeditions (weather permitting). In the company of experienced guides, you can travel at your own pace and enjoy a leisurely and relaxing paddle -- the perfect anti-stress tonic!

No previous experience is necessary. The watercraft are unsinkable polycarbonate and are almost impossible to capsize. Nevertheless, a thorough safety briefing is given before all trips, and lifejackets are issued.

FACILITIES

ACTIVITIES

Accommodation offered at this Establishment

Tours on offer from this vendor

SPECIALS

Stay for 4 nights and get the 5th night FREE

ADDITIONAL INFO

Great White Shark Viewing
Shark Alley, near Gansbaai, South Africa is one of a mere handful of places in the world where this magnificent predator can be found on a daily basis. These sharks are surface feeders and are happy to come and perform just inches from the boat. You don't need to be a diver to get close -- though cage diving is also provided!

So whether you choose to stay dry or get wet, amazing close-up photographs of the great white in action are assured. Sightings occur on over 90% of trips and if you are unlucky on your first trip, your second trip is free!

MOBYS'S SPECIAL SHARK VIEWING DEAL

WHAT YOU GET:

Cage Diving Information
On some days the water conditions will prevent cage diving. Surface viewing will still be possible.
The cage floats at the surface, right alongside the boat; you can exit the cage at any time. Divers enter two at a time. To ensure fairness, first sessions will be time limited.
The sharks don't attack the cage -- just as a lion doesn't attack a car. However they can bump and knock the cage in trying to get past you to the bait -- it can be a rough ride!
Most people feel no fear once in the cage -- only wonder at the shark's beauty and grace. We sometimes have trouble getting people to go into the cage; far more often we have trouble getting them to come out again!
The great white is shy and easily spooked by divers. To bring it in close, enter the cage quietly and keep calm -- a sudden movement or blast of bubbles and your shark may disappear like a shadow.

Safety Information
The boat and hoisting equipment are inspected daily by the crew and annually by the Department of Transport.

Lifejackets, radio, medical kit and emergency equipment are fitted.

The cages are made from 12mm galvanised steel mesh. They are completely safe. The sharks cannot get inside and don't try.

The tour operator is registered with the South African tourist board and holds one of only five licences to operate shark tours to Dyer Island.

What About The Sharks' Safety?!
By law, only the shark's natural foods can be used as bait.

Shark research benefits from the daily observations made by eco-tourism operators.

Eco-tourism helps to raise public interest in great white sharks and their protection.

GREAT WHITE SHARK FACTS
The size of these sharks is a matter of much debate and exaggeration. The largest ever officially measured was 5.8m (19.5 ft) long and weighed around three tons (6,500 lb). Sharks around this size have been seen at Gansbaai, but most are 3 to 4m -- still a very impressive animal.

In the past, the "Jaws" myth that great whites are unthinking, bloodthirsty killing machines resulted in their wholesale slaughter by people determined to rid the world of these "monsters". We now know that they are very cautious, selective hunters who rarely if ever deliberately attack humans; they much prefer their normal prey of fish and seals.

Scientists now recognise that most "attacks" on humans are a result of mistaken identity (the shark mistakes the human for its normal prey) or simply curiosity (a shark, with no hands, uses its mouth to investigate objects).

In most cases, once a great white has bitten a human, it realises its mistake and departs -- though 1 in 5 victims still dies from the initial bite. The sharks actually don't like the taste of people -- we don't contain enough fat to justify the energy expended in eating us.

Although the great white is now protected in many areas, its numbers are still in decline worldwide. The most vital element in the plan to save it, and other sharks, from extinction is to change the public's attitude towards these persecuted animals.

"Considering the knowledge accumulated about great whites in the past 25 years, I couldn't possibly write Jaws today ... in good conscience." ~~ Peter Benchley, author of Jaws

SHARK CAGE DIVING
For the best prices on Shark Cage Diving, Moby's cannot be beaten. At only R700.00, including your transport and accommodation, this is not to be missed. Check out our Tours for more info.

What To Bring
Warm, weatherproof clothing. The weather out at sea can be very cold and can change quickly.
Sunscreen and a hat. The sun is much more dangerous than the sharks.
A camera and plenty of extra film. Disposable underwater cameras are available for R100.
Binoculars, for viewing seals on Geyser Rock.
A plastic bag to keep your camera dry.
Seasickness tablets, swimwear and a towel.