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Hout Bay Tours
Seal Snorkeling Experience in Cape Town
4.5
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*

Seal Snorkeling Experience in Cape Town

By Cape Town Bucket List
Recommended by 93% of travelers
93% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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Ages 0-70, max of 10 per group
Duration: 3h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English
More


  • Gear check and wet suit fitting
  • Hot drinks and snacks on the boat
  • Short training session
  • Use of Snorkelling equipment
What's not included
  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)


Start:
  • Kayak Adventures Simons Town, Long Beach, Driegebroeders Road, Simon's Town, Cape Town, 7995, South Africa
    We are situated inside the Hout Bay Harbour, right next to Ground Up Cafe
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 37689P1

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • A minimum of 4 people per booking is required
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 37689P1

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Cape Town Bucket List
      153
      Hout Bay, South Africa
      Joined in September 2015
    • R1527ZVjh
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Seal of approval!
      The experience was amazing. Great finish to a fantastic holiday. Instructors were very good and available in the water if you needed them, boat and equipment was all good condition and the seals were there in their numbers and happy to get to know you!
      Written April 19, 2023
    • PumpkinSA
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Guides made such a noise and ruined a potentially wonderful experience
      Why does your team shout and whistle at the snorkelers while in the water, like we are at a zoo?! We can see where the seals are, stop ruining the tranquility of the experience! This is a marine-protected area so surely noise pollution should be kept to a minimum?
      Written March 19, 2023
    • kristinek931
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The best experience
      Seal snorkling was the top experience in our three weeks in South Africa. Getting so close to the seal is something we will never forget. The staff was very professionel and helpful. We will do this trip again if we gets back to Cape Town.
      Written February 11, 2023
    • Globon
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      WOW!!! The best activity in Cape Town. We crossed the planet for this incredible adventure. THE BEST.
      The best way ever to meet sea lions in the wild. Cape Town Bucket list are the best in the world. I went back and back and back again... The wild sea lions are playful and come up to you to play. What else?. Absolutely no danger. All monitors by professionals. Thank you Cape Town Bucket List.
      Written December 30, 2022
    • Marina D
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Snorkeling with seals an experience of a lifetime
      This was the highlight for ud. We found out that you can snorkel with fur seals in Cape Town when doing research prior to our trip to South Africa and immediately got very excited at the opportunity. To be completely honest I was freaking out at first upon learning how cold the water is that we will be snorkeling in- 54 Fahrenheight degrees! The tour guides Chart and Jogan seemed very professional though and had the crew thoroughly help each snorkeler properly suit up to make our experience in cold water the most comfortable- including a full 5mm wetsuit with 3mm vest underneath totalling 8mm on chest. Additionally we wore a hood and scuba gloves for added full body warmth. Plus there was hot chocolate and hot water to pour over us after. I also want to give a very special thank you to Sam who helped me along the whole length of the excursion as he saw I was having some anxieties swimming. Thanks to good gear and Sam's assistance I was able to get the most out of this snorkeling experience. There was dozens of seals in the water and some came within inches of us. They were very playful and showing off their tricks. Definitely an experience I will never forget. Highly recommend!
      Written December 26, 2022
    • 954michalk
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Seal Snorkelling - unique experience
      Wow, what an experience! Went there with my family, Short ride, it was bit wavy and the sea was full of curious seals. Really fun and something completely different. Loved the challenge. Big thanks to Johan and the team.
      Written September 10, 2021
    • Ronelle60
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Best Guided Kayak Trip in Hout Bay
      What an amazing experience the guided kayak trip was! I was so grateful to Archie for being so patient with me, he is good at what he does, truly! I felt so safe having him behind me in my kayak :-D How he deals with people, and his knowledge is extraordinary! Everything about this adventure was just WoW! Going under the jetty was absolutely amazing and beautiful! THANK YOU!!!
      Written April 12, 2020
    • mmmellissaaa
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      So much fun with the seals
      Booked a day before via whatsapp and Johan ans Tjaart replied promptly. Easy communication. Quick boat ride to the island (no issue for my friends who had motion sickness) and we jumped into the water to swim with the seals. What a playful bunch! Shower and changing facilities provided. Highly recommend!
      Written March 26, 2020
    • AndreL9498
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      André
      An absolutely amazing experience. We did the kayaking and the seal snorkeling. Would definitely recommend for anyone to do both. Staff and guides are friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable.
      Written February 1, 2020
    • Alex06m
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Wow wow 🤩
      You can’t go to Hout Bay and not go snorkelling with Seals ❤️ I can’t score these guys high enough. Everything was well organised from beginning to end. Everyone was so friendly and made you feel welcome. The boat trip round to the island was fast and fun and on arrival we were amazed at how many seals were in the water playing The water ( South Atlantic Ocean) is very cold but you have a full wet suit and they have warm water to pour into your wet suit if you get cold. If you don’t have your own GoPro or alternative waterproof camera you can hire one from them and it’s definitely worth doing and at the end they give you the memory card with all your photos and videos. The hot chocolate and biscuit on the boat on the way back were very welcome. Definitely an amazing experience and well worth the money.
      Written January 31, 2020
    • sizzor16
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Must Do while in Cape Town!
      This was an incredible experience, I can't recommend this company enough! They are so professional! Every detail is covered, swimming with seals was amazing. Just book this already!
      Written January 29, 2020
    • Kylev380
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Sea Kayaking & Seal Snorkeling - Absolutely Incredible Experience
      We, a group of 4, did both the Sea Kayaking and Seal Snorkeling from Hout Bay Harbour on the same day, with the Kayaking in the morning and the Snorkeling in the early afternoon. The Sea Kayaking was a great experience, with a very knowledgeable guide who is also environmentally conscious, it was clear that he has a passion for the sea and providing these tours. We were very lucky to sea a pod of Common Dolphins swim around our group of kayaks as well, which made the trip. I would highly recommend this experience and would definitely do it again. The Seal Snorkeling was great! The life guards in the water, Tony and Wesley, with the skipper Dion, were complete professionals, very patient and made everyone in the water feel completely safe throughout the trip. When members of our group were struggling with the snorkel gear in the water, Tony patiently helped her until she was comfortable. The hot chocolate and biscuits afterwards were also a welcome treat after the very cold water. Thank you so much to the team for a great day out!
      Written January 5, 2020
    • gb789
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      An amazing experience, the best thing we did in Cape Town
      Was in two minds about doing this due to a fear of another large sea creature South Africa is famous for. They don't like the cold water on the Atlantic side of CT so no worries. Getting up close with fur seals was a fantastic experience. Highly recommended.
      Written November 18, 2019
    • Sugar_and_Love
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing trip
      Oh my gosh, best.trip.ever. Myself and some girlfriends went snorkeling with the seals. It was amazing, seals everywhere, visibility was great (not that that can be ordered) but such a bonus and the seals were so playful. Was great having the life guards in the water with us. Got the most amazing underwater photos! Great treat. The Crew were friendly and professional. All the gear was in good condition and clean. The warm water in our wetsuits and the hot chocolate and cookies were much appreciated afterwards :) highly recommend these guys.
      Written October 16, 2019
    • Davido0409
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience
      Well organised, very professional staff. An hour's snorkelling was just about the right amount of time, although the time just flew by. Plenty of seals to sea and it was awesome being so up close to them. Warm water to dip your hands and feet it was a real benefint and hot chocolate was so good.
      Written October 14, 2019
    See all 153 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    4.5
    4.5 of 5 bubbles82 reviews
    Excellent
    73
    Very good
    4
    Average
    0
    Poor
    2
    Terrible
    3

    Duane97
    Collingwood, Canada11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2022
    Without a doubt, this was the best experience we had in Cape Town. We will never forget it. The seals were playful and the sounds they make under the water was unexpected. The water was unbelievably cold, but you forget all about it when you have 12-20 seals swimming all around you, underneath you etc.... Absolutely a must do!!
    Written January 18, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Life changing experience indeed! :) Thank you so much for your recommendation - we really do appreciate it :)
    Written January 19, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    SINGRIASHOKKUMAR
    Lynnwood, WA40 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was once in a lifetime experience. Snorkeling with hundreds of fur seals around you. The whole crew at snorkel with seals were very professional. Took care of everyone very well.Had hot chocolate and tasty cookies also. Made sure we were all warm during this cold water adventure. Recommend very highly.
    Written April 1, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you so much for your review! Very happy to hear you had a fabulous time out there :)
    Written April 6, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Camille
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2023 • Solo
    The entire team, from the front desk to the instructors were all really helpful and friendly. Ensuring I got the most out of the dive, pointing out when there is a seal close by and making sure none of the divers are cold.

    Really great experience. Will definitely do it again.
    Written February 3, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hi there - Thank you so much for submitting your review. We are very happy to hear that you had a great time out there :)
    Written February 6, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    KarinHawelka
    Chonburi, Thailand8 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    The service was good, the team friendly and the eqipment good, also nice to get warm water for inside the suit and hot chocolate after the snorkeling. Good that they don’t feed the seals. However, I was disappointed to see just 4 seals from a distance with poor visibilty due to high waves while smorkeling around 40 min, others saw just one. The captain said first we can’t access the “hot spot” with many seals due to the big boat there and later he said due to an injured seal, not sure which version was true. At least I got the 200 R for the video back as there would not have been much to see.
    It was nice though to see the many seals on the rocks and a few more near the harbour. Maybe it was the wrong season, other tour operators don’t do seal trips in this month at all. I would try the glassfloor boat instead next time.
    On another note - not related to this company - saddening to see 3 sesls used in the harbour and overfed with fish to attract tourist for paid pictures and even sit on them. 😣
    Written July 1, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Ruud S
    10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2024 • Friends
    We highly recommend going on this tour. It's rather short, and the team itself is not that enthusiastic, but we get it when you do 4 of these trips a day. They bring you out to sea, through the harbor where a few 'lazy' seals are already awaiting you. Once you arrive at the seal colony, thousands of seals are ready to say 'hi'. Once in the water, with your snorkel gear, they swim up to you to investigate. Most of them don't come too close, but the guides stay close in the water with the group just to be sure and to observe any unexpected behavior. Tip: rent a go pro to film and make photos during the trip and under water. We have amazing footage.
    Written February 5, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Rachel B
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2020
    Wow this was an amazing experience. The guides were super knowledgeable and very helpful. The boat ride was very pretty and short to an island with over 4000 seals. You get to spend an hour in the water and its worth it. The seals are very playful and will tug on your fin to get you to play. They also will spin in the water if you spin and surf in the waves. Also, the staff was super helpful when i started to feel a little sea sick. I highly recommend as this was one of the coolest experiences.
    Written March 29, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Erica C
    orwell94 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Our trip was canceled due to weather and since we could not do a reschedule date we were told we would get a refund. This was 2 months ago and we still have not received our refund. I have contacted them several times and have received nothing. Very disappointed
    Written September 6, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Evelina I
    1 contribution
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2023 • Couples
    Still didn't get the video we paid for. We even tipped you guys.
    We went on the tour the 2:nd of December and I've emailed this company twice without any response.
    It was my big dream to see seals and swim with them. Been saving a long time to go to South Africa to experience these things.
    My travel agent contacted the company and they just told her that I need to send the receipt. I didn't GET A RECEIPT!!
    There's another place in Hout Bay you can snorkle with seals. It seems cool and serious! Try that instead.

    //Very disappointed, sad and angry guest.
    Written January 27, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    AC
    Brooklyn, NY26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A wonderful day in the water. My son couldn’t stop talking about this before the trip — and even when in the water with the seals. It did not disappoint. The guides were so kind, esp w the kid, and know a lot about the seals. Water was a bit choppy and I got seasick, but they were even understanding about that. Dumb of me for not taking the seasickness medicine I brought. It was worth the extra $$ to get the Go Pro camera. Thank you for a great day!
    Written January 1, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Klaus U
    80 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We had a half day‘s tour with friends and family, the toughest thing about this was to find the office which is on the other side of the road where you would expect it. The boat ride to the island and back was a bit bumpy, but nothing to worry about. This experience seems to be very eco- friendly as the animals are not being forced to do anything out of the comfort zone. You just go snorkeling close to where they live and the most curious seals swim around you checking you out. Great experience.
    Written January 18, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you so much for reviewing your trip with us - we really do appreciate it a lot :)
    Written January 19, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

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