Whales can now be viewed at Cape Vidal (20 August, 1996)

Visitors to Cape Vidal in the Natal Parks Board's Greater St Lucia Wetland Park may add another of the world's great mammals to their sightings list - humpback whales.

Staff at Cape Vidal have maintained a whale-watch tower used during a whale research programme in the late 1980s, and this is now open to the public. The tower lies at the end of a short trail up a forested dune near the Cape Vidal chalets, and provides a spectacular view out to sea.

From this vantage point visitors may spot passing humpback whales, nearly 1 000 of which are estimated to pass Cape Vidal between mid-June and the end of August with a peak in the latter half of July. Humpback whales breed along the coasts of Mozambique and Madagascar, and feed off the coast of Queen Maudland in Antarctica.

Humpback whales feed off krill - a tiny shrimplike sea creature which occurs abundantly in cool ocean conditions - and are most famous for their long and complex 'whale-songs' which the males sing during the mating season.

These whales can be recognised by the distinctive kink in their dorsal fin, their enormous tail and pectoral fins as well as their habit of breaching - taking spectacular leaps out of the sea - and landing in a huge shower of spray.

All whales are sensitive to disturbance and are easily driven away from areas they frequent. By law, boats may not approach closer than 300 metres and swimmers or divers may not interfere with them in any way. Natal Parks Board.