Swim with seals at Robberg
A guided snorkel with wild Cape fur seals in Plettenberg Bay. R1 295 per person with everything included.
- Seal swim
- R1 295per person, R1 195 each for 4 or more
- Whole trip
- 1.5 hoursup to 30 minutes in the water
- Daily departures
- 10:00, 12:00, 14:00extra early trips in peak season
- Good for
- Ages 6+no snorkelling experience needed
- Included
- All gearwetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, guide, photos
The short version
You check in at Central Beach, pull on a wetsuit, launch off the sand and ride to the Cape fur seal colony at Robberg. Then you slide into the water with a guide and float at the surface for up to 30 minutes while the seals swim around you.
You do not need to have snorkelled before. The wetsuit holds you up, the guide stays with the group, and the boat waits a few metres away. If you can float on your front and breathe through a snorkel, you can do this.
The colony sits inside Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area. The seals are there because they choose to be, and they play because they are curious. We do not feed them or call them in.
Photo from our tripsWhat is included
- The boat trip from Central Beach to the Robberg colony and back
- A qualified guide in the water with you
- Wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins, in sizes from small children to XXXL
- Life jacket for the ride
- Change rooms, warm showers and lockers at the beach
- Photos of your trip, sent to you as a link
What to bring
- A swimsuit to wear under the wetsuit
- A towel
- Something warm for afterwards
- Sunscreen and a hat for the ride
- Seasickness tablets if you know you need them
Who can do it
Age. We recommend the swim for ages 6 and up. Children pay the same as adults because every guest needs a full seat on the boat and a full set of kit.
Swimming ability. You do not need to be a strong swimmer. The wetsuit is buoyant, flotation aids are available on request and the swims are short. Tell us when you check in and a guide will stay right beside you.
Disabilities. Guests with disabilities are welcome. Call or message ahead so the crew can plan the launch and the swim around what you need.
Not keen to get in? Friends and family can ride on the same boat with a seal viewing ticket for R795.
How we behave around the colony
The seals set the terms. These are ours.
Look, do not touch
No touching, feeding, chasing or diving down on top of seals. Hands stay close to your body.
Small groups, short visits
Up to 30 minutes in the water, then we leave the colony in peace.
A guide in the water
Your guide reads the seals’ behaviour and moves the group if an animal wants space.
Inside a protected area
Robberg is a nature reserve and Marine Protected Area. We work under the Blue Flag boat operator standard.
When swims run
We launch every day of the year except 25 December and 1 January, at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, weather and numbers permitting. In peak season we add an early trip.
Seal swims usually pause in June and July. In winter, sharks follow the sardines along this coast and pass the colony, so we stop putting people in the water and run seal viewing trips instead. In May, August and September, spotters on the mountain watch the water during swims.
We go out in most weather, including rain. A strong easterly wind or swell is what cancels a trip. If that happens we tell you as early as we can, and you rebook or get a full refund.
Questions about the swim
How long are you in the water with the seals?
Up to 30 minutes. The whole trip, from the beach launch to getting back, takes about 1.5 hours. Allow two and a half hours door to door once you add check-in and a shower.
Do the seals really come close?
Usually, yes. Young Cape fur seals are curious and often swim right up to snorkellers, loop around them and look them in the mask. They are wild animals, so every trip is different and nobody can promise what an individual seal will do. What we can promise is that the colony is there every day of the year.
Can I touch the seals?
No. We never touch, feed or chase them, and your guide will ask you to keep your hands close to your body. A seal may brush past you or nibble a fin out of curiosity. Stay calm, keep still and let it move on.
Is the water cold?
It is cool rather than tropical: around 17°C in winter and 20°C in midsummer. The wetsuit we give you is made for these temperatures, and most guests are comfortable for the full time in the water. There are warm showers back at the beach.
I wear glasses or contact lenses. Can I still snorkel?
Contact lenses are fine under a mask. Glasses do not fit inside one, so leave them on the boat. If your eyesight is poor without them, tell the crew and they will keep you close to the guide.
Can I bring my own camera?
Yes, a waterproof action camera on a wrist strap is welcome. You do not need one though: the guide photographs every trip and the photos are included. A custom edited video of your trip is R200.
Keep reading
Ready to meet the seals?
Trips leave Central Beach at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 every day, weather permitting. Pick a date and we will have a wetsuit waiting.