Garden Route National Park

🇿🇦 South Africa

🐋 Watch Southern Right Whales Breach

🌍 #202 Global · 3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #46 in Africa #16 in Desert & Scrub

Southern Africa, South Africa 882 spp. recorded

Garden Route National Park is a protected coastal and forest reserve stretching along South Africa’s southern shoreline. This diverse Mediterranean scrub landscape combines dense indigenous woodlands, deep river gorges, and dynamic marine environments.

-33.932° S 23.391° E

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Southern Right Whale

Eubalaena australis

10–20% · With luck

Afro-Australian Fur Seal

Arctocephalus pusillus

20–30% · Possible

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops aduncus

0–10% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Cape White-eye

Zosterops virens

70–80% · Likely

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely

Sombre Greenbul

Andropadus importunus

60–70% · Likely

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiaca

60–70% · Likely

Red-eyed Dove

Streptopelia semitorquata

50–60% · Likely

Cape Wagtail

Motacilla capensis

50–60% · Likely

Greater Double-collared Sunbird

Cinnyris afer

50–60% · Likely

Hadada

Bostrychia hagedash

50–60% · Likely

Knysna Turaco

Tauraco corythaix

50–60% · Likely

Dominican Gull

Larus dominicanus

50–60% · Likely

Bar-throated Apalis

Apalis thoracica

40–50% · Likely

Speckled Mousebird

Colius striatus

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Southern Right Whale

Eubalaena australis

10–20% · With luck

Afro-Australian Fur Seal

Arctocephalus pusillus

20–30% · Possible

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops aduncus

0–10% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Northern Bushbuck

Tragelaphus scriptus

40–50% · Likely

Chacma Baboon

Papio ursinus

20–30% · Possible

Rock Hyrax

Procavia capensis

20–30% · Possible

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

20–30% · Possible

Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse

Rhabdomys pumilio

10–20% · With luck

Cape Porcupine

Hystrix africaeaustralis

10–20% · With luck

Cape Genet

Genetta tigrina

10–20% · With luck

African Clawless Otter

Aonyx capensis

10–20% · With luck

Bushpig

Potamochoerus larvatus

10–20% · With luck

Cape Gray Mongoose

Galerella pulverulenta

10–20% · With luck

vlei rat

Otomys irroratus

10–20% · With luck

Cape Dune Mole Rat

Bathyergus suillus

0–10% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Cape White-eye

Zosterops virens

70–80% · Likely

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely

Sombre Greenbul

Andropadus importunus

60–70% · Likely

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiaca

60–70% · Likely

Red-eyed Dove

Streptopelia semitorquata

50–60% · Likely

Cape Wagtail

Motacilla capensis

50–60% · Likely

Greater Double-collared Sunbird

Cinnyris afer

50–60% · Likely

Hadada

Bostrychia hagedash

50–60% · Likely

Knysna Turaco

Tauraco corythaix

50–60% · Likely

Dominican Gull

Larus dominicanus

50–60% · Likely

Bar-throated Apalis

Apalis thoracica

40–50% · Likely

Speckled Mousebird

Colius striatus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Cape Dwarf Gecko

Lygodactylus capensis

30–40% · Possible

Southern Rock Agama

Agama atra

30–40% · Possible

Angulate Tortoise

Chersina angulata

20–30% · Possible

Knysna Dwarf Chameleon

Bradypodion damaranum

20–30% · Possible

Common Slug-eater

Duberria lutrix

20–30% · Possible

Puff Adder

Bitis arietans

20–30% · Possible

Red-sided Skink

Trachylepis homalocephala

20–30% · Possible

Rhombic Night Adder

Causus rhombeatus

20–30% · Possible

Blue-spotted Girdled Lizard

Ninurta coeruleopunctatus

20–30% · Possible

Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko

Afrogecko porphyreus

20–30% · Possible

Cape Terrapin

Pelomedusa galeata

10–20% · Possible

Leopard Tortoise

Stigmochelys pardalis

10–20% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Ranger's Toad

Sclerophrys capensis

40–50% · Likely

Painted Reed Frog

Hyperolius marmoratus

30–40% · Possible

Cape River Frog

Amietia fuscigula

30–40% · Possible

Clicking Stream Frog

Strongylopus grayii

20–30% · Possible

Black Rain Frog

Breviceps fuscus

10–20% · With luck

Dwarf Dainty Frog

Cacosternum nanum

10–20% · With luck

African Clawed Frog

Xenopus laevis

10–20% · With luck

Striped Stream Frog

Strongylopus fasciatus

10–20% · With luck

Leopard Toad

Sclerophrys pardalis

0–10% · With luck

Royal ghost frog

Heleophryne regis

0–10% · With luck

Rose's Rain Frog

Breviceps rosei

Boettger's dainty frog

Cacosternum boettgeri

Animal Events

🦌

Southern Right Whale Migration

JunJulAugSepOct

Thousands of whales migrate to calve and mate along the Garden Route coast, offering unparalleled boat-based sightings.

Southern Right Whale

Eubalaena australis

10–20% · With luck

🦌

Seal Colony Visits

JunAug

Large colonies of Cape fur seals gather on rocky outcrops, attracting tourists for close-up viewing and photography.

Afro-Australian Fur Seal

Arctocephalus pusillus

20–30% · Possible

🦌

Dolphin Watching Cruises

MarJunJulAugDec

Daily boat tours encounter playful pods of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins leaping alongside vessels.

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops aduncus

0–10% · With luck

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

Southern Right Whale

0–10

<5

<5

<5

<5

10–20

20–30

20–30

20–30

10–20

<5

<5

Afro-Australian Fur Seal

30–40

20–30

30–40

20–30

20–30

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

20–30

20–30

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

<5

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

0–10

10–20

0–10

<5

0–10

0–10

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

50–60

70–80

Fork-tailed Drongo

40–50

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

50–60

60–70

Sombre Greenbul

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

70–80

50–60

60–70

70–80

50–60

70–80

40–50

60–70

50–60

40–50

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

30–40

40–50

30–40

60–70

60–70

30–40

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

70–80

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

Greater Double-collared Sunbird

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

60–70

40–50

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

30–40

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

60–70

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

Bar-throated Apalis

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

Speckled Mousebird

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

60–70

30–40

40–50

Animal Events

🦌 Southern Right Whale Migration

🦌 Seal Colony Visits

🦌 Dolphin Watching Cruises

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🐋 Watch Southern Right Whales Breach

🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

590

🐒 Mammals

166

🦎 Reptiles

93

🐸 Amphibians

33

882 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

48 Threatened 11 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

2.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

55%

📊

Coverage (201 species at ≥5% of 882 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

23%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)

47% Global avg

0%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

134

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

7

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

20

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