It is one of Hermanus’ most unique features and it has captured hearts worldwide.
Picture this: you’re strolling along the dramatic clifftops of Hermanus when suddenly, a haunting call echoes across the bay – not from the majestic southern right whales themselves, but from a colorfully dressed figure wielding a kelp horn, announcing the presence of these ocean giants to anyone within earshot.
This is the extraordinary story of Hermanus’s Whale Crier, a position that began as a spontaneous publicity stunt in the early 1990s.
According to the Hermanus Info Centre the tradition of the Whale Crier started in 1991 when a visitor came into the publicity offices of Hermanus and exclaimed that the whales he had just seen “must be the best kept secret in the Cape”.
On hearing this, Jim Wepener decided that this was a waste of a great opportunity and set about planning and organising the publicity stunt that is known today as the Whale Crier of Hermanus. Jim was a long-time resident of Hermanus and had made his way as a hotel and tourism manager.
At first he had some of his family members call in to the local radio station whenever whales were spotted until he decided to up the ante and create a new position in Hermanus as “The Whale Crier”.By August 1992 the first Whale Crier was heard, blowing on the now familiar kelp horn to alert tourists of whales nearby.
The tale spans three decades, five remarkable individuals, and countless magical moments where the ancient migration of whales meets the timeless human desire to share this wonder with others…
When Wilson Salakuzana first picked up the iconic kelp horn in the early 1990s, few could have predicted that this humble resident of Zwelihle would soon become one of South Africa’s most recognizable faces on the international tourism stage.Within months of assuming his duties, Wilson’s infectious enthusiasm had earned him an extraordinary accolade.
Tourism officials noted that he had become “the most photographed South African after Nelson Mandela”. For eight remarkable years, Wilson became the human bridge between the magnificent southern right whales and the thousands of tourists who flocked to Hermanus’s beaches and viewpoints. Today Silize Kuka is the Whale Crier of Hermanus and proud of his work.
