There’s no doubt about it. Any encounter with wildlife is special. When that encounter is a huge southern right whale that is very special. And when that encounter is from just 20 feet away off South Africa’s Western Cape, then it is off the scale!

Between late June and early December the sheltered bays off to the east of Cape Town become home to whales. Many whales of a number of species. After spending months in the southern oceans, these magnificent mammals head here to calve and to mate. Why? The relatively cool, sheltered and shallow water is perfect for such activity and as the huge males joust for the right to claim a female as their prize for them to calve the following year, those females that mated last year produce their ‘mini-me’ calves. Here they can stay close to their mothers in relative safety as they suckle and grow at an enormous rate during the first few weeks.

As they grow stronger, they begin to play with their mothers and in small groups flailing their fins and tails and often breaching out of the water making an enormous splash as they crash back down letting everyone and everything know for miles they are there.

The area is also abundant in seals, penguins and sharks along with huge numbers of birdlife all making the most of this perfect wildlife haven. If you're looking for a base from which to experience all this, we'd suggest Morukuru Ocean House for families, Grootbos where you can also view the whales from the air, or The Marine in Hermanus.

What about the turtles? Well, turtles are a different matter. They prefer the warm waters and sandy beaches that string out like a bejewelled necklace along Africa’s east coast and its off shore islands.

They mate out in the open ocean but the females then return to the very beach that they themselves were born on many years earlier to lay their eggs in the summer months between November and February. An amazing feat given the huge areas that these ancient creatures cover each year as they drift with the currents in search of food.

So, where best to see these turtles as they nest? We have a number of options. The beaches and islands of Mozambique can offer some excellent viewing opportunities and of course Mauritius, being almost surrounded by sandy beaches, is the perfect place to have a relaxing holiday with the added bonus of turtle viewing. However, two hot spots that we highly recommend are the Seychelles (the quiet and secluded beaches on both North Island and Fregate Island welcome many returning turtles) and the recently opened Miavana just off the northern shores of Madagascar. Turtles and lemurs – now that’s an unbeatable combination!

From these Indian Ocean beaches there are also chances to see these amazing sea-going animals in their own environment by way of snorkelling and diving. Like a land-based safari nothing can ever be guaranteed but the possibility that there might be ‘one along in a minute’ is part of the thrill of a safari – even if it is an underwater one!