The month of November in Port Elizabeth usually casts days of changing light and gentle warmth but crazy harsh winds too! My friend and I waited for one fine day in November, in fact, it took five postponements and a bag of patience from Karen at Raggy Charters before we received our perfect day for experiencing a mesmerizing ocean charter with Raggy Charters – and what a perfect weather day it was. Thank you Karen!
The charter we chose is called the Whale, Dolphin and Penguin Island Cruise.
We mingled with excited tourists, took deep breaths as we held on tight and allowed our senses to be transported away from the humdrum we’d fast left behind.
What did we see? We saw light in all her glory as we exited the harbour and entered the welcoming and sparkling Indian Ocean. Even though there was no guarantee to see whales, we saw them, many of them, they made us gasp over and over again. We saw many dolphins, of course the comical penguins too, a couple of seals and sea birds were always close to the boat or nearby.
What did we smell? Just the Indian Ocean and some diesel in the mix.
What did we touch? The railings, the ladder rungs, our cameras and cell phones.
What did we hear? The roar of the outboard motors, the excited chatter amongst passengers, the charming delivery of guide Purity’s knowledge on marine life and conservation.
What did we taste? A tinge of sea salt from the wind on the waves and later the welcome crunch of ham and cheese croissants we all devoured with gusto!
What did we feel? We felt elated to be so close to so many marine animals in their beautiful, natural surroundings. We felt hugged by the warm sun on our faces and the cool breeze through our hair. We felt privileged to witness the sheer wonder of tourists from every corner of the globe. We felt proud of our magnificent Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape and of all who are striving to showcase both. We felt the trip was well worth the long wait for fine weather.
The charter was well run by professional and enthusiastic staff and crew who were very friendly and knowledgeable, they were easily able to answer everything they were asked. They constantly fed us information about the marine life and marine conservation, they even made a U turn to collect a block of horrid waste that was bobbing on the sea. Later another U turn was made to rescue a passenger’s hat that had been grabbed by the wind!
A big thank you to Team Raggy Charters for providing us with an unforgettable day packed with sparkling memories, a day that most certainly recharged our waning batteries.
Just do it, book your charter with Raggy Charters:-
https://www.facebook.com/raggycharters
CONTACT INFO:-
+27 (0)73 152 2277 or info@raggycharters.co.za
Nelson Mandela Bay Yacht Club
Dom Pedro Jetty
Port Elizabeth/Gqeberha,Eastern Cape
Opening Hours: 8am until 5pm
From their website:
“Raggy Charters is a licensed boat-based Whale Watching permit holder and now also has a permit for Shark Cage Diving in Port Elizabeth,South Africa. The most amazing marine life can be found in the Algoa Bay, also known as the Bottlenose Dolphin Capital of the World, this was an initiative of Raggy Charters in 2016. As far as we are aware we are the oldest Marine Eco Tour Company combined with a Conservation Project (Baywatch Project) in Africa – since 1992. We are owner run and managed and use the volunteer system to assist in our tours and projects. Funds generated from whale-watching boat cruises, African penguin boat cruises and other marine eco-tours with Raggy Charters are used to fund the Algoa Baywatch Project. Raggy Charters undertakes regular beach clean-ups in the Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) area and has started an initiative to offset our carbon footprint by planting one indigenous tree for every boat cruise we do.
What to Expect on Sea Cruises: African Penguins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Common Dolphins, Humpback Dolphins, Bryde’s Whales, Minke Whales, Southern Right Whales, Humpback Whales, Cape Fur Seals, various species of sharks (Great White Shark), Cape Gannets and various species of Pelagic Birds including Terns, Petrels, Skuas, Shearwaters and Albatrosses can be found in the Algoa Bay.”
16th June 2021 Dylan Walker CEO of World Cetacean Alliance:
“We are thrilled to announce that Algoa Bay, South Africa, has become the world’s fifth Whale Heritage Site and the second in South Africa, following in the footsteps of The Bluff, Durban.
Huge congratulations must go to WCA partners Lloyd Edwards, Jake Keeton and Karen Keeton of Raggy Charters and the Baywatch Project for their tireless efforts over many years working in collaboration with many other people to protect Algoa Bay and its cetaceans, penguins, sharks, and other marine life.”
From their Facebook page:
Stand a chance to WIN a whale, dolphin and penguin tour for 2 adults from Raggy Charters – Marine-Eco Cruises
Click here to enter, https://bit.ly/RaggyChartersComp
Please like, share, and comment on the post.
Who would you bring along? Let us know in the comments section.
*The competition will end on 31 March 2024.
#Competition #Giveaway #Dolphins #Whale #Penguins #Gqeberha #PortElizabeth
From American Humane:
“We are thrilled to share that Raggy Charters – Marine-Eco Cruises has achieved the distinction of Global Humane Certified™ for its humane responsibility toward animal life! As a leader in ethical tourism, Raggy Charters places animal welfare at the heart of their whale, dolphin, and penguin-watching cruises. Guests can enjoy memorable cruises and engage with wildlife knowing that Raggy Charters has met American Humane’s high standards for animal welfare in Humane Tourism.™ Congratulations on this well-deserved achievement!
From Raggy Charters: We are very proud to be the 3rd in South Africa to be awarded the Global Humane Certification.. well done Raggy Charters – Marine-Eco Cruises Team, great effort.
