“Hermanus has best land-based whale watching in world” and “You're sure to see hundreds of whales breaching from waters off rocky cliffs to West” or “You'll definitely see them lob tailing from vantage point of golden beaches to East”.

And this indeed is a fact.

Every year, like clockwork, whales return to Hermanus for their yearly rendezvous in Walker Bay, carrying out their annual rhythms of mating and calving.

Considering what people actually understand about Southern Right Whale - named because it was “right” whale to hunt – whales perspective will always be something mysterious and unknown.

What we do know is that they prefer warmer waters of Walker Bay for a breeding ground rather than cold waters of their usual haunt, Arctic Circle.

According to calendar they can be seen from July to November. What areas of Walker Bay or time of day to expect them is hard to say. But there is one expert in Hermanus who is sure to know.

The Whale Crier of Hermanus

If you've never heard of Whale Crier of Hermanus, it’s because Hermanus is only place in world to have one. If you're interested in whales this is one whale expert you definitely need to meet.

Pieter Claasen was first to lift a horn-shaped tube of kelp to his lips at age 11, sounding first base notes announcing arrival of whales. Since then, his predecessor, Wilson Salukazana, has become Hermanus's second whale crier.

He answers any questions posed to him about whales…

Wilson can tell you where they come from, what kinds there are in bay and even names of aerial stunts they perform. He also knows best coves along shore and places where you can get within 20m of these gentle submariners.

Therefore Spain has to be one of easiest and most affordable of world’s popular destinations in terms of its accessibility - particularly from UK and Northern America. For example there are cheap flights available from all British airports to main and regional airports across Spain daily and direct flights from main Spanish hubs to US daily. As an alternative for British and European travellers there are fantastic countrywide train, coach and ferry links and great access for those who prefer to travel by car.

This article breaks down main Spanish travel options by region.

Northern Spain – The easiest way to access this region is by plane from one of main UK airports flying directly to Bilbao or from US to Malaga with transfer to Bilbao. It’s possible to connect with Iberia flights for connections across North and throughout Spain. Alsa and Eurolines have sophisticated coach networks and it’s possible to travel all way across Europe to Bilbao or San Sebastian and then pick up local coaches or rail connections. You can also sail from UK port of Plymouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries, or you could take P & O route from Portsmouth to Bilbao.

Castile and La Rioja – The cheapest way to access these regions is possibly to fly to one of main Spanish hubs – Barcelona, Bilbao or Madrid for example, and then either drive or get connecting flights. You can connect with Iberia for flights to Logrona in La Rioja or Valladolid in Castile. Castile, Rioja and Navarre are serviced by an excellent road network which makes getting around simple and again, Alsa coaches will connect you with major and minor destinations across regions and entire country.

Aragon, Navarre and Pyrenees – As these regions are easily accessible by car or coach from Madrid it may be best to get a cheap flight to Madrid and then drive E90 to heart of region. You could consider getting a connecting flight to Zaragoza in middle of region which is a good jumping off point for explorations in this stunning part of Spain. Alternatively access to this region can be made by rail or coach. Eurolines coaches will connect you with Pamplona or Zaragoza; Eurostar rail will take you from UK to Paris and from Paris you can catch an overnight high speed rail link to Madrid…from Madrid options are varied, from local rail and coach connections, car hire, and local flight connections with Iberia.

Costa Brava and Costa Dorada – As we move east to beautiful Northern Catalonian coastal regions of Costa Brava and Costa Dorada, so accessibility increases. Barcelona airport is main airport for these regions and it welcomes cheap UK and US flights. You can then connect to Girona in Costa Brava region or Reus in Costa Dorada region. Barcelona itself has an underground train network for access throughout city, and if you want to travel further afield Spanish rail service RENFE has many mainline and local services servicing both regions. The main coastal road in Costa Brava is A7, with A2 taking you west away from Barcelona and C32 taking you south from Barcelona into Costa Dorada. Barcelona has a port with ferry services to Genoa, Rome, Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza.