After the heavy rains of the past weekend residents of Kleinmond were filled with excitement and anticipation as they awaited the breaching of the Kleinmond Lagoon.
Locals woke this morning (Wednesday 9 June 2025) to the exciting news that the big moment had finally arrived overnight while everyone was still in dreamland. Photos and videos of this beautiful natural phenomenon soon started flooding social media.
Well-known resident Trisa Hugo, author and book reviewer, said there is always an air of exhilarating expectation when the lagoon’s water levels start rising, bringing with it the possibility that the lagoon will once again overflow its banks to reach the ocean.
“It’s a very big event for everyone,” she said, “and there is this awesome vibe in the air, with some people flocking to the beach a few times a day, hoping they will be there for the big moment when the lagoon rushes into the sea.
“It creates so much excitement, maybe because flowing water symbolises cleansing and renewal.”
Hugo, a self-proclaimed thalassophile (someone who loves the ocean and is magnetically attracted to it), said her records show the lagoon had last breached on 6 June 2024. They also showed the lagoon breached twice in 2021, on 9 May and 6 December. There was, however, a period of three years – 2016 , 2017 and 2018 – when the lagoon did not breach.
Scientists say this phenomenon is important because it allows for the flushing of the lagoon and the influx of fresh seawater, an exchange that helps regulate saline levels within the lagoon and improving water quality.
