Why nature lovers head to Plett Ocean Festival every winter

What to book, what not to miss and why July is the best time to go

Last updated: Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Most events ask you to watch – Plett Ocean Festival asks you to take part. Tracking marine wildlife with a shark spotter, contributing to citizen science projects, or catching the action at the new Winter Surf Fest. The programme offers 10 days of experiences shaped by one of South Africa's richest marine ecosystems. Now in its fifth year, the annual event returns from Friday, 3 July to Sunday, 12 July 2026 with many behind-the-scenes experiences that reveal a side of Plettenberg Bay most visitors never get to see.

There really is something for everyone on the programme. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

JULY, BEST TIME FOR WHALE WATCHING

Along the Garden Route, July is exactly when the ocean becomes most exciting. 

It’s one of South Africa's most celebrated whale-watching destinations; a time when Southern right and humpback whales arrive for their annual migration.

Dolphins are frequently spotted in the bay, and daily ocean safaris offer the chance to see whales, bottlenose dolphins, pelagic seabirds, Cape fur seals and even the rare Indian Ocean humpback dolphin.

That seasonal energy is exactly what the festival is built around, with Plett being one of only a handful of places in the world recognised as a Whale Heritage Area by the World Cetacean Alliance.

The weather is cooler but it’s still clear and sunny with fewer crowds and an opportunity to experience the coast at a slower pace. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

UNMISSABLE WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS

Several operators, including Ocean Safaris, will be running permitted whale and dolphin watching trips during the festival. Offshore Adventures offers another highlight, taking visitors to one of the area’s most active seal colonies.

Those who like to keep their feet dry can join a guided hike with a Plett Shark Spotter across the peninsula, with a behind-the-scenes look at local marine monitoring.

As is the case for many of the festival's events, a portion made from bookings for the Plett Shark Spotter hike goes straight back into local ocean stewardship programmes.

You'll also learn how the Shark Spotters programme works. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

MUST-TRIES: KAYAKING

Some experiences take you out on the water, while others invite you to experience the coast from a vantage point all your own.

The festival offers sea kayaking trips, taking you out where dolphins may surface nearby, seals bob between the waves, or seabirds skim low across the ocean. The excursions are suitable for first-timers, although experienced kayakers are welcome too.

Bitou River kayaking trips wind through indigenous vegetation and abundant birdlife, revealing a quieter side of Plett away from the surf breaks and busy coastline.

It’s an event you don’t want to miss. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

DAILY DIVES & SPECIAL EVENTS

For those who want to look below the surface, divers can join ProDive's reef clean-up initiative, helping remove discarded fishing gear from local coral reefs. Encounters with dolphins and seals are always a possibility.

There’s also a special Secret Sunset gathering on the beach, where headphones, music and guided movement create a playful, family-friendly celebration as the sun goes down.

And just beyond the shoreline, movement practitioner Lizl Engelbrecht will be hosting somatic movement sessions overlooking the Indian Ocean, designed to help visitors reconnect with the ocean in a slower, more mindful way.

Join a hike, reef clean-up dive or explore the coastline by kayak. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

THE NEW WINTER SURF FEST

One of the biggest changes at this year’s Plett Ocean Fest is the arrival of Winter Surf Fest.

The event replaces the Wedge Classic, South Africa's longest-running bodyboarding competition. For decades, competitors were drawn to Wedge Beach for its powerful shore-break wave that became legendary among bodyboarders. Recent winter storms have reshaped the beach, prompting organisers to reimagine the event.

Running from 8 to 12 July at Robberg 1 Beach – one of Plett's most popular surf breaks – the Winter Surf Fest expands beyond just bodyboarding to also celebrate surfing and broader wave-riding culture.

You can expect five days of competitions, beach lifestyle events and plenty of ocean stoke as competitors from around the country descend on Plett for the winter swell season.

Entry costs R400 per person, per event and includes an event T-shirt and goodie bag. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

HOW TO BECOME A CITIZEN SCIENTIST

Alongside the wildlife encounters and outdoor adventures, Plett Ocean Festival revolves around a programme built around citizen science.

Birders can join a pelagic birding trip led by conservation experts and marine specialists in search of albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, terns and other seabirds that spend much of their lives far from land, making opportunities to catch sight of them rare.

Funds raised through the excursion support the Plett Stranding Network, a volunteer-driven initiative that responds to stranded marine animals along the coastline.

The festival offers a behind-the-scenes look at local conservation work. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

HEAR FROM OCEAN EXPERTS

If you ever dreamed of becoming a marine biologist, this is probably the closest you'll get without enrolling for a degree.

Taking place from 10 to 12 July, the Marine Science Symposium brings together leading ocean voices, covering everything from whale migration and shark conservation to the future of ocean protection.

One of the headline speakers is ocean advocate and freediver Zandile Ndlovu, better known as Zandi the Mermaid. She’ll be MCing the symposium and introducing young South Africans to the ocean through storytelling, education projects and her underwater workshops.

Visitors can also hear from members of the Alexforbes Angel Wings crew, who recently claimed victory in the Cape2Rio Yacht Race despite suffering major equipment failures mid-Atlantic.

Zandi the Mermaid returns as MC of the Marine Science Symposium. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

THERE’S PLENTY FOR FAMILIES TOO

While some festivals are designed around a niche audience, Plett Ocean Festival does a surprisingly good job of catering for all ages.

Children can join sand sculpting workshops inspired by local marine life, where conservationists and marine experts help bring the coastline's creatures to life through creativity and storytelling.

Many of the wildlife experiences are also family-friendly, including whale watching excursions, seal colony trips and some kayaking activities.

The result is a festival where children can learn about the ocean without it ever feeling like a classroom. After all, it's not every day you get to spend your school holidays meeting a real-life mermaid and spotting whales in the same week.

There’s so much to see and do. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

WHERE TO STAY

If you're making a weekend or school-holiday trip of things, the easiest option is to stay in central Plettenberg Bay.

According to festival organisers, most visitors choose accommodation close to Main Street, Central Beach, Beacon Island or Robberg, which keeps them within easy reach of the festival's main activities and departure points.

While some activities and talks are free to attend, experiences like whale safaris, seal colony boat trips, kayaking excursions, reef-clean-up dives and symposium sessions generally require bookings. 

You’ll need to book on the Plett Ocean Festival website.

Plett offers many options to choose from. Image: Plett Ocean Festival

GET TICKETS TO PLETT OCEAN FESTIVAL

Plett Ocean Festival is happening: Friday, 3 July to Sunday, 12 July 2026; 8am to 5pm
Find it: Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape
Book: Via the Plett Ocean Festival website
Contact on: 044 533 4065 | info@pletttourism.com | Plett Ocean Festival

By Khadeeja Adams

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