Robberg Marine Protected Area
Swim with
wild seals in Plettenberg Bay
A boat ride from Central Beach to a colony of thousands of Cape fur seals. You float. They come to look at you.
- Daily at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00
- R1 295 per person
- No experience needed
- All gear included
Getting in, or staying dry?
Everyone rides the same boat to the same colony. Swimmers go over the side. Watchers get the seals alongside, and nobody has to hold the towels on the beach.
Swim with Seals
Wetsuit on, mask down, and into the water at the Robberg colony with a guide beside you.
- Price
- R1 295 pp
- On the water
- About 1.5 hours
- With the seals
- Up to 30 minutes
- Ages
- 6 and up
- Wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins included
- No snorkelling experience needed
- A qualified guide in the water with you
What the trip looks like
About 1.5 hours from launch to landing. Here is the whole outing, start to finish, and a film shot on the trip itself.
- 1
30 minutes before
Check in at Central Beach
Find our office in the Central Beach car park on Hopwood Street. We do the paperwork and fit you with a wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins.
- 2
Departure
Launch off the beach
You step aboard the Robberg Express on the sand and the skipper takes her out through the surf. It is the part people talk about afterwards.
- 3
A short ride
Run down to Robberg
The boat follows the coast to the Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area, where the Cape fur seal colony lives.
- 4
Up to 30 minutes
Get in with the seals
A qualified guide gets in with you. You float in your wetsuit while the seals come over to investigate, in their own environment and on their own terms.
- 5
Back on the sand
Land, shower, warm up
The boat lands back on Central Beach. There are warm showers, change rooms and lockers at the base, and your guide's photos and video from the trip.
When can you swim?
Most of the year. In the middle of winter sharks follow the sardines to the colony, so we stop swimming and run boat trips only. Tap a month to see what runs.
- Swims and viewing
- Swims with shark spotters
- Viewing only
- This month
October: swims and viewing
Swims and seal viewing run every day, weather permitting. This is the main swimming season.
What guests say afterwards
Read every review on TripadvisorAmazing trip and better than expected. Would definitely recommend. Really cool experience seeing the seals so close. We also got lucky and saw other dolphins (up close) and a whale (from a distance)
Guest from London, United Kingdom
I have already been twice and now booked my third dive experience always amazing and run by lovely knowledgable people
Guest from Portsmouth, United Kingdom
The seals themselves were so funny, they're like puppies acting clownish and they come so close, looking at you like "wtf are you doing here". Flipping under water, floating upside down with the tailfins out of the water, playing with our fins.
Melissa, booking review
It was a great family experience. The guide explained things clearly before hand when kitting up. The boat launch was fun and we were soon speeding accross the bay towards the seal colony.
Fraser, booking review
Angelo is a great host and guide. Really professional and super friendly. Will recommend Offshore Adventures to anyone who wants to swim with seals.
Myriam, booking review
We chose to view the seals rather than swimming with them. It was a very enjoyable experience, with good guides. It was very special to have all the young seals swimming and showing off around the boat, while the older ones lay around or floated.
Jean, booking review
Tripadvisor Hall of Fame, and award winners in 2025 and 2026
Run by people who look after this bay
Skippered by a sea rescue commander
Owner and skipper Jaco Kruger is station commander of NSRI Station 14, Plettenberg Bay's volunteer sea rescue crew.
WESSA Blue Flag boat
Blue Flag status is awarded for safety, environmental management and education, and it has to be earned again each season.
Seal pups go home
With Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre we rescue pups washed off the rocks, and take them back to the colony once they are strong.
A guide in the water
Every swim has a qualified guide in the water, a boat standing by, and wetsuits that keep you afloat.
Where it happens
We launch from Central Beach, in the middle of Plett, and land back on the same sand.
- Meeting point
- Central Beach Car Park, Hopwood Street, Plettenberg Bay
- Departures
- 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 every day, and 08:00 in busy season. Arrive 30 minutes early.
- The colony
- On the sheltered side of the Robberg Peninsula, inside the marine protected area.
Plan it properly
All guides- Plettenberg Bay, 7 minute readThings to do in Plettenberg BayA local guide to things to do in Plettenberg Bay: Robberg hikes, beaches, boat trips, wildlife sanctuaries, the Keurbooms River, wine farms and rainy days.
Plan your trip, 5 minute readIs swimming with seals safe?Is swimming with seals safe? An honest look at seals, sharks, rabies and sea conditions in Plettenberg Bay, and how each risk is managed on our trips.- Plan your trip, 5 minute readBest time of year to swim with seals in Plettenberg BayThe best time to swim with seals in Plettenberg Bay, month by month: sea temperatures, the June and July pause, shark spotter months and whale season.
Asked every day
The questions we hear at the office before every trip, answered straight.
I can't swim, or I'm not a strong swimmer. Can I still do it?
Yes. The wetsuit keeps you buoyant and we have flotation aids on request. Your guide is in the water with you at all times. We don't swim long distances: mostly we float around the seals.
Should I be concerned about sharks?
Sharks are a natural part of life at the seal colony in winter, when sharks and other predators follow the sardines. Pups born about six months earlier start hunting sardines, and because they are inexperienced, sharks get a chance to feed on them. The pups learn very quickly, so the sharks are only there for a short period: June and the first two weeks of July. We stop swimming in June and July. In May, August and September we use spotters on the mountain to alert the boats to any shark. From October we return to normal operations. Seal behaviour is a good indicator of shark presence, we keep a boat close by as a lookout, and we run at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00 so that the sun is out and we can see well in the water. It is the open ocean and sharks do move around, but we have been operating for more than a decade with an excellent safety record.
How old do children need to be?
The swim suits children from 6 years. Our smallest wetsuits fit children of about 4, so if you have a confident younger swimmer, talk to us first. Seal Viewing is open from 2 years.
What if the weather is bad?
Not to worry. We go out in most weather, even rain. The only time we cancel is for a strong east wind or east swell. We let booked guests know in advance, and if we can't reschedule you, we refund you in full.
What should I bring?
A swimsuit to wear under your wetsuit, your own towel and something warm for afterwards. We supply the wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins. For Seal Viewing, bring a windbreaker and a camera.
If I don't want to swim, can I still come on the boat?
Yes, provided there is space. Book a Seal Viewing trip: you ride on the same boat as the swimmers and watch everyone else get wet.
The seals are in. Are you?
Trips leave Central Beach every day at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:00. Pick a date, pay by card, and we will have a wetsuit in your size waiting.