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A wildlife feast, on sea and land
The Big 7
Great white shark, member of Big 7
© Chris Marais
Did you know?
About 2 500 southern right whales visit South Africa’s coastline every year.
If you head on a safari into the Eastern Cape, specifically Addo Elephant National Park, you’ll certainly hear some boasts about the area having the Big 7.
In other words, apart from having lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant, there are also great white sharks and southern right whales to be seen. The term started to be bandied about in the early part of the new millennium, after the Addo Elephant National Park’s area started to be extended to the coastline. The park’s marine reserve component now includes Cape gannet and African penguin strongholds like Bird Island and St Croix. Among these islands swim southern right whales and great white sharks.
So now, in theory, you can see all these animals in one area – a fact worth trumpeting.
But in fact, it hardly conveys all there is to see. You can also see humpback whales, plus a resident group of Bryde’s whales, keen streamlined hunters with a turn of speed that makes them look like giant torpedoes if you’re lucky enough to spot them.
There are endangered humpback dolphins and bottlenose dolphins too. Birders will be excited to know that the endangered roseate tern is found here, as is the black oystercatcher.
It’s not only the Addo Elephant National Park that has the Big 5 in the Eastern Cape, incidentally. There are a number of private game reserves, including Shamwari, Kwandwe, Kariega and Kuzuko – just to mention a few.
The Eastern Cape also has the advantage of being at the other end of the Garden Route, and is malaria-free to boot.
In this context, the boast of the Big 7 starts looking rather like an understatement.
Travel tips & Planning info
Who to contact
Addo Elephant National Park
Tel: +27 (0) 42 233 8600
Fax: +27 (0) 233 8643
Email: addoenquiries@sanparks.org
Alan Tours
Alan Fogarty
Telephone: +27 (0) 41 378 1486
Fax: + 27 (0) 86 603 3701
Cellphone: +27 (0) 72 358 4634
E-mail: info@alantours.co.za
How to get here
The Eastern Cape has 2 international airports at Port Elizabeth and East London. From either of these, you can hire a vehicle.
Around the area
You're close to Port Elizabeth, one of South Africa's pleasant coastal cities.
Tours to do
Alan Fogarty, a tour guide based in Port Elizabeth, has considerable experience in 'hunting down' the Big 7.
Get around
You would need your own vehicle, but might also be able to travel with a tour company and guide.
Length of stay
The Addo Elephant National Park is still in the process of expansion and as yet there is no single spot you can stand and watch elephants and whales. So you would need to visit the beach and the bush separately. Plan for at least 2 days at Addo, and a boat trip.
Where to stay
Addo has excellent accommodation ranging from luxurious to rustic to camping.