VESSEL REVIEW | Megaptera – Whale watching RIB for operation off South Africa's West Coast

Southern Right Charters, a South African tour operator that specialises in providing whale watching excursions, has taken delivery of a new rigid inflatable boat (RIB) built by local company Gemini Marine.

Named after a genus of humpback whale, the 8.8-metre (29-foot) Megaptera (silent “P”) was specifically designed as a high‑capacity offshore adventure tourism platform, optimised to safely and comfortably carry up to 14 persons including the coxswain.

“The vessel is purpose‑built rather than adapted from a leisure design,” Gerhard Neethling, CEO of Gemini Marine, told Baird Maritime. “Heavy‑duty grab rails, strategically positioned handholds, and a deep central console provide protection from spray and wind, while also creating a secure operating environment. A unique elevated aft viewing platform enhances passenger experience by providing a higher vantage point, particularly suited to whale‑watching operations.”

Can be adapted for applications other than tourism

The seating configuration combines aft bench seating for three passengers, a forward console bench for two, and five jockey seats that provide improved comfort, safety, and visibility in both calm and rough sea conditions.

Standing positions are also available for four persons.

“Boarding ladders positioned on the port side A‑frame allow easy water access for swimmers or divers, giving the vessel multi‑role capability beyond tourism,” said Neethling. “The deep V offshore hull provides excellent ride comfort, reduced slamming at speed, and a stable, well‑balanced platform in swell and chop.”

Suitable for offshore waters

Neethling explained that the owner required a robust commercial platform capable of operating safely in offshore tourism environments such as False Bay, with a strong emphasis on passenger comfort, visibility, accessibility, and regulatory compliance.

The brief required maximum passenger capacity without compromising stability, as well as a flexible deck layout and enhanced viewing opportunities.

“The vessel will operate primarily offshore along the West Coast of South Africa. Its daily role will be to locate and document large aggregations or ‘supergroups’ of humpback whales, supporting the owner’s objective of leading the way in the emerging supergroup expedition sector.”

Operations will also include extended offshore exploration into less travelled and previously under-documented areas, targeting species that are known to inhabit these waters but are seldom actively pursued due to distance, sea conditions, and operational risk. These include sperm whales, blue whales, beaked whales, and fin whales.

“The vessel is therefore intended to fill a capability gap by providing a robust, seaworthy offshore platform able to safely reach and operate in remote whale habitats,” said Neethling. “Once operational, the plan is to actively push further offshore and expand the boundaries of current expedition activity using the RIB as the primary exploration platform.”

Modular design facilitating scalability and ease of overcoming stability issues

For Neethling, the primary challenge in designing the vessel was balancing passenger capacity with offshore stability.

“Carrying 14 persons on a relatively narrow RIB required careful management of weight distribution and longitudinal centre of gravity,” he told Baird Maritime. “The elevated aft viewing platform further complicated these calculations. This was addressed by repositioning the console forward and optimising seat and fuel tank placement.”

Ensuring passenger safety in rough sea conditions was also critical. Seat spacing, handhold positioning, and coxswain visibility were carefully considered to minimise injury risk and improve operational confidence.

“Structural precision was essential, particularly during infusion of the hull and deck components. The aft A‑frame and viewing platform required detailed structural calculations and tight manufacturing tolerances to ensure strength without negatively affecting weight balance.”

For Neethling, the project reinforced the importance of modular, repeatable design.

“Standardising seating systems and validating weight distribution early in the design phase improves scalability across the product range. For tourism operations specifically, passenger comfort, visibility, and vessel stability are just as important as speed or performance.”