3D whales are coming to Hermanus as global beacons for marine conservation and education

Whale centre artists impression. Image: Supplied

17 Feb 2025

Next-generation artificial reality technology will bring southern right whales to life at the new South African Whale Centre.

Imagine walking into a dome and coming face to face with some of the biggest creatures on Earth, southern right whales, exploring their habitat, watching their young ones at play – experiencing “super-reality” that’s more real than real.

Imagine, too, being up close and personal, listening to the haunting songs of whales, learning about what they are saying to each other – to their young and to us, their observers and listeners.

As a curious young learner, imagine being captivated by next-generation artificial reality displays that vividly illustrate whale behaviour and migration, learning about the importance of their feeding grounds and the effects of various forms of pollution on their ability to thrive.

Does that all sound pretty far-fetched? It certainly was a few years ago, when the idea of the world’s first interactive whale research centre – involving the redevelopment of Hermanus’s Whale House Museum – was put on the drawing board.

The vision is that this state-of-the-art facility with its advanced 3D technology will become a global beacon for marine conservation and education.

Despite the challenges and a fair dose of scepticism, that multimillion-rand dream is fast becoming a reality.

Read more: Whale superhighways along the West Coast — a conservation success story

The new South African Whale Centre is to be built in the heart of Hermanus, the whale capital of South Africa, in the Western Cape. Not only will it be the new home of the whale unit of the University of Pretoria’s Mammal Research Institute (MRI), but it is also destined to attract visitors from around the world.

Dr Els Vermeulen, head of the MRI whale unit, explains the motivation. “The university has been a cornerstone of whale research in Hermanus for many years. This new cutting-edge centre of knowledge represents a significant step forward in our shared commitment to marine conservation.”

The new centre, says Vermeulen, will provide a world-class platform for research and become an important node for visiting scientists.

“It will offer unparalleled educational opportunities, inspiring future generations of marine scientists and conservationists. We are excited that this big dream of ours is actually happening.”

The creation of the new whale hub has been a collaborative initiative involving the board of trustees of Hermanus’s Old Harbour Museum, in partnership with a dedicated project development team and the MRI whale unit.

The unit was previously based in an MRI field station on Main Road, Hermanus. It will be relocated to the South African Whale Centre upon completion.

whales An artist’s impression of the new whale centre. (Image: Supplied)

Community buy-in has been an essential component, says codeveloper and environmental activist Grahame Lindop. “The mission was to advance the idea of a dedicated whale centre and create a world-class facility to showcase the beauty of whales. Achieving as much as we have shows that the power of community, collaboration and legacy to drive awareness and conservation efforts really works.”

The South African Whale Centre team says its goal is to “inspire every visitor to protect our oceans through education, conservation projects and community engagement”.

Vermeulen says “valuable support” has come from the provincial departments of cultural affairs and sport, which recognise the financial and economic opportunities created by the centre and its potential to boost tourism and growth in the region.

With all the relevant stakeholders now on board, the focus will shift to securing funding to bring the project to fruition.

Established in 1985, the MRI whale unit researches the ecology, population dynamics and behaviour of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in southern African waters and the Southern Ocean. The principal objective is providing knowledge that will promote their conservation.

The unit’s mission is to ensure the advancement of knowledge and conservation of southern Africa’s and the surrounding ocean’s diverse cetacean fauna, through conservation-oriented research and development of human knowledge capacity.

Over the past 40 years the unit has become a globally recognised leader in whale and dolphin research.

Its national and international activities include:

The role of large whales in southern hemisphere ocean ecosystems and the effects of climate change.

Assessment of seasonal distribution and relative abundance of cetacean species in South African offshore waters.

Applying science-based knowledge to national and international conservation management. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

Our Burning Planet