Raggy Charters Marine Eco Cruises

• Port Elizabeth

There are a number of things that make our cruises unique and sets us apart from other operators.

• We visit St Croix island which is home to half of the worlds remaining endangered African Penguins and is the largest breeding colony of African Penguins.
• We are blessed to operate in Algoa Bay which is diverse in wild life species and rich in history.
• We only run our Whale/Dolphin/Penguin island cruise once a day, in the morning, instead of trying to fit multiple cruises into one day. This ensures that our skippers and guides are fresh and fully alert for every cruise and it is possible to spend a bit more time and effort searching for wildlife in all corners of the Bay or observing something special that we come across provided that no one on board is in a rush to get back for a flight or any other prior arrangements or bookings.
• We are a small organisation who's main focus is education, conservation and assisting in research which is all made possible by the funds generated from conducting Marine Eco-Cruises for our guests out into Algoa Bay.
• At least one tree is planted for every cruise so as to balance our carbon footprint.
• We prefer using smaller boats over using large boats so as to keep our cruises personal with at least two guides on board each of our cruises to answer any questions and see to the needs of our Guests.

All cruises are weather dependent.

Whale-Watching Cruises

Raggy Charters is a licensed boat-based whalewatching permit holder for Algoa Bay. Southern Right and Humpback whales are usually seen from June until December. 

Bryde’s and Minke whales can be seen throughout the year feeding on schools of bait fish which pass through Algoa Bay. 

Dolphins regularly spotted on cruises include both Common and Indo Pacific Bottlenose, Common and Humpback. If no whales are spotted a cruise to the penguin island will be undertaken. Tours leave in the mornings and take between two and three hours. 

Penguin Island Cruises

Visit the St Croix Island Marine Reserve and see the largest breeding colony of the endangered African Penguins on the planet, numbering 22 000 birds. Besides penguins there are many other seabirds including Cape Gannets which nest on a nearby island. Also often seen are Cape Fur Seals, sharks and dolphins. Tours leave in the morning, taking three hours and covering 60km.

Beachfront Cruises

Join Raggy Charters for a leisurely cruise along PE’s famous beachfront turning around at the Cape Recife lighthouse which marks the start of Algoa Bay. Dolphins, Cape Fur Seals and numerous sea birds may be sighted. Tours leave in the afternoon taking one and a half hours and covering 10km.

About Raggy Charters

Raggy Charters is by far the oldest Marine Eco Tour company in Port Elizabeth and was established in 1997. We have a 100% safety record and our boats are inspected annually by the South African Marine Safety Authority. The company was set up with the sole goal of funding the Baywatch Marine Conservation Project.