Addo Canyons Tour: Discover to protect
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By booking this tour you will make a direct contribution to the Addo Canyons Research Project
This Project, initiated by Raggy Charters, aims to combine Tourism and Research, with the goal of establishing a new Marine Protected area to the South of Algoa Bay.
Algoa Bay is so rich in Biomass and Biodiversity, but where does the food come from to feed all this life? The Raggy Charters team suspects that the answers lie at the Addo Canyons (a series of deep-water canyons lying 60km South of Algoa Bay).
One of these submarine canyons breaches the continental shelf edge, causing major upwelling in the area. This upwelling of nutrients attracts life to the area. From Zoo Plankton and squid to Killer Whales and Sperm Whales, this zone around the canyons is teaming with life.
The Addo Canyons Research Project aims to collect data on this previously undocumented area and use this data to link the Canyons to the Biodiversity of Algoa Bay.
This will create a strong case for establishing a new marine protected area around the Addo Canyons. This project is time sensitive as the Area surrounding the Addo Canyons has been identified as a productive zone for oil and gas exploration.
Research trips to the Addo Canyons are directly funded by tourism and the guests who have booked a tour to visit the Addo Canyon to see the offshore species that frequent the area.
Important Details
This is a full day tour. We meet at 7am on the grass area at Nelson Mandela Bay Yacht Club in the Port Elizabeth Harbour, departing after a short briefing (usually 7.30am) and returning in the afternoon around 5pm.
We start the tour with a briefing on the Addo Canyons, bringing you up to speed on the progress of the Addo Canyons Project up to the date of your tour.
Layer your clothing, it is common to experience a cold morning, then hot mid-day, followed by a cold return trip in the afternoon.
Stay hydrated, still water is provided on board.
Lunch on board, snacks and a light lunch will be provided during the tour. Please provide us with any specific dietary requirements.
Sun Protection: There is a shaded area on board, make periodic use of this area and be sure to wear sunblock and a suitable hat or clothing.
The Science:
This tour has been designed to combine tourism and research. The Raggy charters crew or marine biologists on board will brief you on the goals for the day and how they plan to achieve those goals in the prevailing conditions. They will share information with you regarding the methods being used to collected data from each encounter during the day.
You will also be informed of how you can assist during the tour. This could be something simple like helping us spot for marine life or require more skill, like using your own camera to capture important photo identification data of dorsal fins and tail flukes.
At the end of the tour, you will receive a debrief where the crew will share a summary of the day, highlighting the successes or failures from the day and the importance of the data recorded and its perceived value to the project.
What you could see during this tour
This tour is built around searching for offshore species of cetaceans, pelagic bird species, sharks and rays.
Since we started systematically searching the Addo Canyons area we have been fortunate to record some species that had never before been documented in our waters. The below species list includes species that we have sighted since the start of the Addo Canyons Research Project in January 2026. We believe that there are more species visiting the Addo Canyons that we have yet to see.
Cetacean species seen to date:
Seen frequently: Sperm Whales, Risso’s Dolphins, Common Bottlenose Dolphins, Long-Beaked Common Dolphins, Humpback Whales, Brydes Whales.
Seen less frequently: Killer Whales, Pygmy Killer Whales, False Killer Whales, Striped Dolphins.
Sharks and Rays seen to date: Giant Oceanic Mata Rays, Sicklefin Devil Rays, Mako Sharks.
Bird species seen to date:
Albatrosses: Black-browed, Indian Yellow-nosed, Northern Royal, Shy Wandering.
Shearwaters: Cory's, Flesh-footed, Great, Manx, Sooty, Tropical.
Petrels: Great-winged, Northern Giant, Pintado (Cape), Soft-plumaged, Southern Giant, White-chinned, White-Headed.
Storm-Petrels: Black-bellied, European, Wilson's.
Terns: Antarctic, Arctic, Caspian, Common, Greater Crested (Swift), Sandwich.
Gulls: Grey-headed, Hartlaub's, Sabine's.
Jaegers: Long-Tailed, Parasitic, Pomarine.
Fishes seen to date:
Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Bonito Tuna, Dorado
Whether you are a lover of cetaceans, an avid birder or have a great sense of adventure and enjoy activities that are off the beaten track, this tour is perfect for you. Join us on our next cruise to the Addo canyons to see what we may discover next.
Rates
2025/2026 Rates (1 Nov 2025 to 31 Oct 2026)
R5,950 per adult
2026/2027 Rates (1 Nov 2026 to 31 Oct 2027 - rates are subject to change)
R6,500 per adult
Please note a passenger weight limit of 120kg per person applies for safety reasons (exceptions may be considered for athletic individuals—please enquire if unsure).
With a minimum of 4 people, although there may be discounts for groups of 10+. Please email us directly to make a booking. Gift Vouchers are also available to purchase, which make a great birthday/christmas present for family members (locals please enquire about prices).
Disclaimer
Raggy Charters cannot guarantee animal sightings on any cruise. Raggy Charters offers guests the opportunity to view wild animals which will move around at their own will and therefore we cannot be held responsible for the movements of these animals. Guests who are taken to St Croix are guaranteed to see African penguins, and therefore no refund will be given if other marine animals are not spotted. If absolutely no animals are sighted compensation, in the form of a free ticket for the next boat trip, may be given at the discretion of the skipper.
