Where are the whales?

For more that 20 years I have been making an annual pilgrimage during the Spring months August to end October to a flat high up on the hillside overlooking Simon's Bay in Simon's Town.

From this excellent vantage point one can spot whales way off in the distance to close to shore and we have enjoyed many years of watching them gather, cavort and glide by.

During the 2000 to 2010 period it was common to see as many as 20 whales at a time in the bay.

But last year something changed. During the three weeks in August/September we saw just three whales. This year we are here in October and have seen not one.

Not one in Simon's bay, not one in Fish Hoek and not one from Boyes Drive. So where are the whales?

I chatted with a few of the locals and they have also noted the absence of whales and a permanent resident next door has seen just 5 this whole winter. Three reasons have been advanced for this:

• The Japanese have been killing more whales than we realise.

• During a winter of heavy rains the salinity of the Bay decreases, reducing buoyancy so the whales stay well off-shore (sounds weird as the bay is flushed through twice a day)..

• Pollution from sewerage and other nasty things as a result of the massive increase in developments on the Flats and the Eastern side of the Bay. There are a number of sewerage outlets between Glencairn and Simon's Town.

The wife and I are going to have to drive round to Hermanus it seems. Does anyone have an explanation or am I one-eyed and wrong?