All you need to know about the Plett Ocean Festival

Unpacked: Events, must-try activities and where to stay & eat

Last updated: Wednesday, 4 June 2025 

Plett Ocean Festival is for anyone with a geek fascination for oceans and wildlife. Beach people, surfers, divers, birders, and adventurous kayakers. It’s for families, too, or anyone who simply wants to watch dolphins or whales (they migrate in July). This time of year, the bay is sunny yet cool, and there will be tons of kids’ activities. 

It’s happening from Friday, 4 July to Sunday, 13 July 2025. We unpack all you need to know about it.

One of the activities during Plett Ocean Festival is daily kayak tours. Image: Plett Tourism

WHY PLETT IN WINTER?

In July, the average temperature is 17 °C, the skies are clear, and with fewer visitors, there is more opportunity to enjoy Plett’s treasures. 

During winter, southern right and humpback whales arrive for their annual migration, and to calve in the protected waters of the bay.  

Plett is a Whale Heritage Area, accredited by the World Cetacean Alliance, and is one of the best places to whale watch, look for dolphins and spot sharks and seals.

Plett is sunny and warm in the winter, perfect for beach days and gorgeous sunrises. Image: Plett Tourism

EVERYONE’S FAVE: WHALE & DOLPHIN WATCHING

The Ocean Festival will host daily ocean safaris to see these beautiful creatures from a boat, as well as to the Robberg Seal Colony. You can also spot whales from land. The best sightings are at the Whale Tail on Lookout viewpoint just after sunrise. You can also spot great white sharks; the best vantage point is Robberg Nature Reserve.

And if you’re keen to get into the water, ProDive Plett is offering a daily introductory scuba diving course at the Beacon Island Resort. Active adventurers will also be keen for kayak trips down the Bitou River. There’s magnificent birdlife. 

Not enough to watch these creatures from a boat? The Ocean Festival offers a PADI scuba diving course. Image: Plett Tourism

NOT TO MISS: BODYBOARDING COMPETITION

The Wedge Classic, South Africa’s longest-running bodyboarding competition (it was first held in 1996), is another programme highlight that draws plenty of spectators.

It runs from 7 July to 12 July at The Wedge Beach. After each day of surfing the Wedge Wave, the fun carries on into the evening with DJs and music.

You can also catch live entertainment on the first day of the festival at the Welcoming the Whales party at Market off Main. The dress code? 50 Shades of Blue with drinks to match.

SA’s longest-running bodyboarding competition is one of the most popular events at the festival. Image: Plett Tourism 

LOTS OF ADVENTURES FOR KIDS

There’s loads of kid-friendly activities too. Galeo Saintz, the founder of multiple conservation NPOs, will host a Full Moon Meander at Keurbooms Beach on 10 July. He’ll take walkers around the tidal pools, where starfish, limpets, urchins, anemones and more make their homes.

There are also clay and sand sculpture workshops (naturally marine-themed), guided walks, and movie nights from conservation-passionate brands like Patagonia and WaterBear. 

Some of the activities, like the Checkers ACT Kids Club, focus solely on introducing children from local communities to the ocean and teaching them about water safety with educational games.

Kids can join the ocean safaris. Image: Plett Tourism

BEACH CLEAN-UP & DIVES

Another event for families is the beach clean-up with Cape Nature which will happen at Lookout Beach on Saturday, 5 July. You can pick up trash and help paint the travelling ocean mural. 

If you’re a diver, join ProDive’s guided dive clean-up of Plett’s coral reefs that are littered with abandoned fishing gear. The dive will be free and gear hire will be 50% off. You might see dolphins and seals while you’re out. 

Take the kids and make the beach clean-up fun and educational. Image: Pro Dive Plett 

MUST-TRIES FOR BIRD WATCHERS

There’s also plenty of opportunities to see Plett’s biodiversity on land. Birders can explore the Groot River estuary on the Birds of the Forest & Estuary walk on 6 July with Nature’s Valley Trust (NVT). 

Or join Conserve Eden and Enrico’s Fishing Safaris on its pelagic birding trip, All at Sea, on 7 July. You may spot a rare albatross, a bird that breeds in Tasmania and spends its life almost  entirely in flight.

NVT is hosting a Fynbos Bird Ringing expedition on 9 July. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at how scientists study birds. You’ll get up close to real scientists and see how they use mist nets to temporarily trap and ring birds. 

A pelagic birding trip during Plett Ocean Festival. Image: Stephan van Wyk

24 TALKS AT THE SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM

You can learn more from scientists and conservation experts at ​​The Plett Marine Science Symposium, which is happening from 11 July to 13 July at Beacon Island Resort.

Opening the symposium, OceanHub Africa’s Thando Mazomba will present “Unconscious Currents”, which will challenge you to reflect on how cultural narratives shape our understanding of ocean conservation. 

You’re also invited behind the scenes with gannet expert Dr Zanri Strydom, who was on location for a BBC documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Shark expert Dr Alison Towner will discuss the declined sightings of great whites in False Bay and Gansbaai, whether they may be collecting in new areas that aren’t being monitored, and the role of the killer whale in these declined sightings.

And if you’d like to learn more about killer whales, PhD student Aaron Barnes’s presentation will share why working on these animals is so difficult and their impact on fisheries and ecosystems. 

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

Zandile Ndhlovu, South Africa's first black female freediving instructor, will be MCing the Symposium. Image: Black Mermaid Foundation

OUR TIPS ON WHERE TO STAY

There’s a wide range of accommodation options, from pocket-friendly caravan parks and backpacking hostels to blow-the-lights-out villas and 4- and 5-star hotels.

Plett Villas has a secret season special on its range of accommodations. It has 189 properties to rent on its books, including apartments with panoramic views in Old Plett and luxe homes in prized positions like Robberg Beach. See more on the Plett Villas website. 

The Bayview Hotel also has winter specials. It’s on Main Street in the heart of the town, and is just a 10-minute walk to Lookout Beach. Families love all the children’s activities, like books, movies and playhouses, at Bayview Hotel. 

Beacon Isle is another popular accommodation choice. Image: Plett Tourism

WHERE TO EAT

As befits a beachside town, the seafood is sublime. Lookout Deck is known for Pint o’Prawns (prawns in a mug). If you’re looking for more unconventional bites, Barrington’s has curious tapas like halloumi bao buns, tuna pani puri and a beer mussel pot. It also has an award-winning craft brewery.

Did you know that Plett has its own wine route? The restaurant at Bramon Wine Estate is ever-popular, serving meze and cheeses (goats cheese and marinara is a winner), Spanish meatballs and bobotie cigars. 

Lookout Deck is one of Plett’s most loved restaurants because it's right on the beach. Image: Lookout Deck 

PLETT OCEAN FESTIVAL

Plett Ocean Festival is open: From Friday, 4 July to Sunday, 13 July 2025
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 Lorraine Kearney 

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