Is it safe to swim with seals?
Straight answers on seals, sharks, rabies and the sea, and what we do about each of them.
The short answer
Swimming with seals at Robberg is a managed wildlife encounter. You wear a buoyant wetsuit, a qualified guide is in the water with you, spotters and the skipper watch the animals and the sea, and the boat is never more than a short swim away.
We would rather you read this page before you book than after.
What happens on every trip
- A briefing on the beach before launch, covering the boat, the water and the seals.
- Life jackets for the boat ride, and a wetsuit that keeps you afloat in the water.
- A guide in the water from the moment the first guest gets in until the last one is back on board.
- The boat standing by close to the swimmers, with the skipper watching the group.
- A shorter swim than in past years, so the group stays together and alert.
- First aid supplies on board, and a crew that includes sea rescue volunteers.
Flotation aids are available if you ask. Weak swimmers and children get a guide at their shoulder.
The seals themselves
Cape fur seals are wild predators with sharp teeth, and they are also playful and curious. Young seals explore with their mouths, the way puppies do. Now and then that means a nip on a fin, a glove or an arm.
The rules are simple and they work. Keep your hands in. Do not touch, feed or chase. Do not dive down into a group or come between a seal and the rocks. Your guide watches the animals’ body language and will move the group if a seal is agitated.
More on seal behaviour and how to read it
Rabies in Cape fur seals
In 2024, rabies was confirmed in Cape fur seals along South Africa’s coast, the first time the disease had been recorded in this species. By July 2026 the World Organisation for Animal Health counted more than 100 confirmed cases in Cape fur seals in South Africa and Namibia. In December 2024, Plett’s authorities reported four confirmed cases and one suspected case here, in a local seal population of about 8 000.
Those cases are spread across a population of well over a million seals, so the great majority of animals are healthy, and Bitou Municipality, CapeNature and Plett Tourism have stated that the town’s beaches remain safe for recreation. A rabid seal typically behaves abnormally: unprovoked aggression, biting at objects, convulsions or unresponsiveness.
What we do about it
- Spotters and guides watch the colony before and during every swim. If any animal is behaving abnormally, nobody gets in.
- A guide is in the water with the group at all times.
- Time in the water has been shortened.
- First aid supplies are carried on every trip.
- Anyone who prefers not to swim can switch to a seal viewing ticket and stay on the boat.
If you are bitten or scratched
Wash the wound with soap and running water for at least ten minutes and go to a doctor, clinic or hospital straight away for post-exposure treatment. Rabies is preventable when treatment starts promptly, and fatal once symptoms appear, so this is never optional.
Report sick, injured or dead seals on Plett’s beaches to the Plett Marine Animal Stranding Network on 079 463 4837, and keep your distance.
Sharks
Seal colonies attract sharks, and Robberg is no exception. They are most often here in winter, when the sardine run moves along the coast.
- Seal swims stop in June and July.
- In May, August and September, spotters on the mountain watch the water during swims.
- Trips run at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, when the light is high and visibility is better.
- The boat stays beside the swimmers.
If conditions or sightings make the skipper uneasy, the swim becomes a viewing trip. That call is always the skipper’s, and it is final.
Weather and sea conditions
We launch in most weather, rain included. What stops us is a strong easterly wind or easterly swell, which makes the launch and the colony unsafe. If we cancel, we tell you as early as we can and you rebook or get a full refund.
The ride is fast and open. If you have a back or neck injury, a heart condition, or you are pregnant, talk to your doctor and to us before booking.
Who is looking after you
The trips are run by Offshore Adventures, a Plettenberg Bay operator with WESSA Blue Flag status for its boat operation and membership of SATSA, Green Fins and the Seal Snorkel and Dive Operators Association. Owner and skipper Jaco Kruger is a long-serving NSRI Station 14 volunteer and station commander.
Sources
- Plett Tourism, Bitou Municipality and CapeNature: Plett adopts safety measures in response to seal rabies (4 December 2024)
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases: Rabies and seals in South Africa, what you need to know
- CapeNature: Public urged to avoid Cape fur seals amid rabies risk
- World Organisation for Animal Health: Rabies detected in Cape fur seals (17 July 2026)
Last checked 10 October 2026.
Safety questions
Is it safe to swim with seals in Plettenberg Bay?
With a licensed operator and a guide in the water, yes, for the great majority of guests. It is a wildlife encounter in the open sea, so it is not risk free. The risks are a nip or scratch from a seal, cold, seasickness and, rarely, sharks. This page explains how each is managed.
What do I do if a seal swims up to me?
Stay still, keep your hands against your body and enjoy it. Do not reach out, grab, or kick away. If a seal mouths your fin or glove, stay calm and let it lose interest. If you feel uncomfortable, signal your guide, who will move in beside you.
What happens if a seal bites me?
Tell your guide immediately. Any bite, nip or scratch that breaks the skin is washed thoroughly with soap and running water for at least ten minutes, and you go to a doctor, clinic or hospital the same day for a rabies risk assessment and treatment. Do not wait for symptoms, and do not skip it because the wound looks small.
Are there sharks at the seal colony?
Sometimes, mostly in winter. Sharks are part of a healthy ocean and they follow the sardines past Robberg. That is why seal swims pause in June and July, why spotters watch from the mountain in May, August and September, and why the boat stays beside the swimmers on every trip.
Do I need a rabies vaccine before swimming with seals?
It is not required. South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases suggests that people who are in the water with seals often, such as divers, surfers and people who work with seals, speak to their doctor about pre-exposure vaccination. For a single guided swim, most guests do not, but it is your decision and your doctor is the right person to ask.
Still unsure? Ask us
Message the crew with your question, or book the seal viewing trip and stay on the boat.