IT’S time to get excited as Sodurba Community Tourism Organisation (CTO) wraps up plans for the third annual Welcoming of the Whales festival taking place on Saturday, 29 June 2019.
This event will take place in Foreshore Drive, between Anstey’s Beach and Brighton Beach on the Bluff and promises a whole lot of markets, food stalls as well as various beach activities and exhibitions.
The free event is open to the public and it promises to be bigger and better. The whole of Foreshore Drive will be closed to provide a street festival feel. The official opening will see local surfers make their way to the ocean to form a big circle at Anstey’s Beach, which will be followed by the sounding of a whale horn, a recital of a poem and a song by local music group DiTPO at 12pm.
“The majestic whales have always graced us with their presence and we’re trusting that this year’s turnout will be just as amazing,” said Sodurba vice chairperson, Melissa Lee. There will be a complete road closure and this will create a street festival vibe, along the route there will be an educational section with various stakeholders including WESSA, WildOceans, Sharks Board, CMH Kempster Ford Durban South and many more. “There will be many activations along the journey down Foreshore Drive and further down all our local sport clubs will be hosting competitions between their clubs, including Wentworth Bowling Club, the Boxing Club and more,” explained Melissa.
Attendees are advised to wear comfortable shoes as it is a street festival that will involve quite a bit of walking and fun outdoor activities. Although the festival is free some of the activities inside, such as the beer garden, kids rides and market crafts will have a charging fee.
READ ALSO: Welcome the whales with Sodurba
Why all the hype and excitement around this festival some may ask? Many locals living in Durban are unaware that the city once supported a thriving whaling industry. Thousands of migrating whales were caught at sea and towed back to Durban to be processed into a number of products. These were highly prized by both local and overseas consumers. Whaling ceased in Durban in 1975, but older residents won’t have any problem remembering the bad smells which wafted from the whaling stations on the seaward side of the Bluff, making the lives of those who lived in the vicinity a misery. The whaling season in Durban lasted from March to September, because whales would migrate northward past Durban at the start of the Antarctic winter and pass by again on their way back south.
During these months, the whalers could reap a rich harvest of whales without having to sail much more than 150 miles from Durban. The whaling ships would sail up close to whales and shoot them with 165-pound metal harpoons loaded with explosive charges. These would explode inside the whale and kill it. The harpoon was attached to the whaling vessel by a rope so that the whale wouldn’t sink once it had been harpooned. The whaler would then pump the dead whale full of compressed air so that it would float and, once the vessel had finished hunting, it would tow the whales back to Durban. The whales would be brought into the bay and pulled up out of the water onto a slipway on the bay side of the Bluff.
READ ALSO: Umlazi resident makes her mark in tourism industry
On the Sunday morning, 30 June there will be a special tour of the historic whaling station which people can purchase tickets for. “People will be welcomed with a goodie bag, coffee on arrival, a breakfast before going on an insightful private tour through the whaling station, guided by two highly knowledgeable tour guides,” she said.
The festival welcomes people from far and near, young and old, to come out and enjoy a day of fun and perhaps even get to learn a thing a or two about the rich history of the Bluff coast.
To book tickets for the private tour or for more information contact Sodurba on 071-143-1235 or email helga@sodurba.co.za
DID YOU KNOW?
Click on the words highlighted in red to read more on this and related topics.
To receive news links via WhatsApp, send an invite to 061 876 3179
The Southlands Sun is also on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – why not join us there?
Do you have more information pertaining to this story?
Feel free to let us know by commenting on our facebook page or you can contact our newsroom on 031 903 2341 and speak to a journalist.
(Comments posted on this issue may be used for publication in the Sun)
