The picturesque fishing village of Hermanus, South Africa, is one of the few places in the world where you can stand on land and get really good looks at southern right whales, humpbacks and Bryde’s whales. In fact, it’s one of the twelve best whale-watching spots in the world. The leviathans frolic and laze in the combers just offshore. Meanwhile, cliffdwelling rock hyraxes, rabbit-sized relatives of manatees and elephants, scamper through fantastic rock formations at the sea’s edge. I spotted this man walking toward the hyrax colony with a bag of carrots, and settled back to watch as the animals congregated to greet him. His gnomelike attire gave the perfect shot of color and surreality to the scene. I tried to approach to ask him a few questions about his relationship with the hyrax colony, but he wouldn’t acknowledge me, so I withdrew. Perhaps he felt uncomfortable speaking English rather than his native Afrikaans; perhaps this communion with the animals is his church. Who was I to break the companionable silence? I felt honored to have witnessed his communion with hyraxes.

Julie Zickefoose

South Africa | South Africa Birds & Wildlife