Walker Bay Nature Reserve has once again demonstrated its commitment to environmental stewardship, earning a coveted Green Coast Award from the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) for the 2025-’26 season.
The recognition was announced at the national Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards ceremony in Port Alfred recently, co-hosted by Wessa and the Ndlambe Municipality. The prestigious annual event celebrates excellence in coastal management, environmental education, and nature-based tourism across South Africa’s diverse coastline.
The Green Coast Programme, developed by Wessa, specifically recognises natural, less-developed coastal sites that maintain environmental integrity while promoting responsible tourism and meaningful community involvement. Sites earn recognition based on their demonstrated commitment to conservation, innovative eco-tourism initiatives, and dedicated protection of coastal biodiversity.
“Walker Bay continues to be one of the flagship provincial reserves and the Green Coast Award builds on the recognition Die Plaat Beach received last year after being named on Condé Nast Traveler’s prestigious list of Best Beaches in the World,” said Dr Ashley Naidoo, CEO of CapeNature. Located between Hermanus and Gansbaai, Walker Bay Nature Reserve is not only ecologically significant but also steeped in human history.
Archaeological evidence reveals that Middle Stone Age people inhabited Klipgat Cave between 65 000 and 85 000 years ago, while Khoi and San communities called this area home approximately 2 000 years ago.
Today, the reserve is celebrated as one of South Africa’s premier land-based whale watching destinations. Each year, southern right whales migrate to the sheltered waters of Walker Bay to breed and nurture their young, creating spectacular viewing opportunities for visitors and researchers alike.
Naidoo emphasised the collaborative effort behind this recognition: “This Green Coast Award reflects the hard work of our staff and partners who conserve one of the Western Cape’s most ecologically diverse stretches of coastline. Recognition like this reinforces CapeNature’s ongoing commitment to conserving our coastal ecosystems while ensuring that local communities benefit from nature-based tourism.
“The reserve’s pristine and picturesque landscape supports an abundance of coastal and marine life, making it a vital sanctuary for biodiversity conservation. Its inclusion in the national Green Coast network underscores CapeNature’s successful approach to balancing conservation priorities with responsible visitor access and environmental education.Wessas’s Green Coast network has more than doubled in size this season, reflecting a growing national commitment to protecting South Africa’s coastal heritage through collaborative efforts between government agencies, conservation organisations, and local communities.As WESSA approaches its centenary year, having spent 99 years dedicated to “People Caring for the Earth”, CapeNature’s recognition under the Green Coast Programme serves as both an honour and a renewed call to action.
The award reinforces the organisation’s mission of connecting people with nature in meaningful ways that foster environmental stewardship, promote learning, and build shared responsibility for our natural heritage.
The recognition of Walker Bay Nature Reserve demonstrates that effective conservation and sustainable tourism can successfully coexist, creating a model for coastal management that other reserves can follow while ensuring these precious ecosystems remain protected for future generations.
