Hermanus — Hermanus, South Africa
A cliff-top house above Walker Bay, with a staircase down to the sand and whales calving in front of it.
Birkenhead House stands on the headland between Kammabaai and Voëlklip, with a path and steps running down the cliff from the terrace to the sand on either side, and the Hermanus cliff path passing the door. The swim is along the open line of Walker Bay, with no harbour or breakwater on that stretch, and Grotto Beach lies further east along the path. The Walkerbay Open Water Xtreme is raced in the same water. This is the cold Atlantic, so most people are in a wetsuit for most of the year. From June to November southern right whales calve in the bay in front of the house.
