The coastal town of Hermanus is a hive of activity between June and December as tourists from the around the country descend on Walker Bay to witness the whale migration from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to the Cape Whale coast.
It’s an experience that many add to their travel bucket lists, hence the popularity of the annual Hermanus Whale Festival.
The festival, which takes place in late September every year, is a large contributor to Hermanus’ tourism-generated income.
However, this year, festival organisers have announced the event has been cancelled.
The directors issued a statement voicing their regret at not going forward with the festival.
They said that after much consideration and a meeting with the Overstrand Municipality’s events team and mayor, they had decide to pull the plug due to the issue with the non-availability of water in the town centre’s tap. This could greatly impact public health and safety.
During the meeting, they were also informed that Hermanus is now a disaster area.
“The health and wellbeing of our visitors, role-players, stallholders and volunteers are of utmost importance to us.
“Given the ongoing challenges and uncertainties related to the aftermath of the Cape Storm of the previous weekend, we believe it is the responsible and prudent choice to cancel the Hermanus Whale Festival this year,” read the statement.
The organisers added that although they couldn’t host the festival in a traditional sense, they “will explore alternative ways to celebrate and educate the public about the magnificent marine life that frequents our shores”.
IOL