All Dressed Up

These two lucky pups I found on the cliffs at Bientang's Cave. The view they have is simply splendid, and attention is not in short supply. Happily wagging their tails at all passers-by, they nearly created a traffic jam on the narrow cliff path as everyone stopped to pat them. They donned all their finery, probably to comply with the restaurant's dress code?

There She Blows!

No, this is not Moby Dick but simply one of the friendly moms in the waters off the cliffs of the village. If you look closely, you can just make out the calf next to her. Yesterday there were about 9 moms & toddlers lulling about in the waters, it having been a real summer's day. Needles to say, the cliffs were packed with onlookers.

A Birdie In The Rough

Look closely, and what do you find? A partridge in the rough at the golf course. Lots of guinea fowl and partridges have made the outskirts of the gold course their home, and have been welcomed by all. When the fence was put up, special openings were made especially for them to easily exit the course in order to cross the road to the open field across to "graze". Very often cars crossing the road have to give right of way to a new mom and her young crossing.

Giraffe Stampede In Main Road!!!

Yes, it's official: a troop of tropical giraffes have stampeded down Main Road towards the crafts market, looking for loving new owners who would buy them and give them a loving home. These giraffes are hand-made by local craftsmen. Look at the exquisite details and the happy colours. Don't buy one, buy them all! Have a happy, colourful Monday!

Flying Solo

Perched on a rock at Gearing's Point, a lonely seagull. I couldn't resist a picture. It creates a feeling of simple serenity and peacefulness, and the best part: it's free, like all really good things in life

Theme Day: BIG!

It's theme day, and our topic is big. What better way to participate than to post a picture of one of our biggest villagers, the Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena Australis). Hermanus is the official Whale Capital of the world, with these gentle giants taking up residence in our waters every year from July to January. There are strict policies in place for boat based whale watching, and over the years they have become accustomed to the protection they enjoy here. Whales, like dolphins, communicate through sound. They make clicking, grunting & whistling sounds. When a calf is born after 12 months gestation, tail first, it measures approximately 6 meters. By the time they reach adulthood at the age of 10, the males measure 15 meters and the females 16 meters on average. Their lifespan is estimated at between 90 - 100 years. They present us with a summer performance of fluking, breaching, lobtailing, spyhopping, logging and spouting or blowing. As and when I am fortunate enough to catch their performances on film, I will post photo's.

It's also the official start of SPRING in the Southern Hemisphere, so on that note have a BIG SPRING day!

To see what other City Daily Photo Blogs consider BIG, please Clik here to view thumbnails for all participants

A Distant Cousin Of Yours, Maybe?

Hermanus is home to several Baboon troops, the most notorious being the Voëlklip ("Bird Rock") troop. At home on the mountain slopes right off the residential area, they have become accustomed to people and can be seen especially on Mondays and Thursdays (refuge removal days), taking a leasurely stroll through the streets, picking through refuge bins and discarding whatever they don't find up to standard right there. Fascinating to look at (from a distance, through binoculars as they are wild animals and not pets), one is quickly reminded of exactly how close to human they really are ...