Hermanus has the only whale crier in the world. The town is on Walker Bay in the Western Cape, roughly 90 minutes southeast of Cape Town, and during whale season the crier walks its streets with a horn made of dried kelp. A coded call is sounded on the horn each time whales are sighted, so visitors on the cliffs know exactly where to look. We can't think of a finer job title anywhere in South Africa – and the post has been filled since 1992!
Here at Springbok Casino, the word whale has a second meaning... In casino language, a whale is a player who bets far more than most other players at the table, and our high limit online casino is set up with those big-spending Bokke in mind. How high do our deposit limits go, which freebies can a high roller look forward to in the inbox, and how are the big wins paid out? Grab your binoculars – we're heading for the cliffs of Hermanus first!
The Kelp Horn of Hermanus – How the Whale Crier Signals a Sighting
The tradition began in August 1992, when Pieter Claasen, an employee at the Old Harbour, became the first whale crier in Hermanus. His friends weren't at all sure what to make of the unusual idea at first, but Claasen stuck with the kelp horn and became something of a celebrity among locals and visitors alike. He was later invited all the way to the UK as a guest of honour at a town crier competition… not bad for a man with a seaweed trumpet!
The horn isn't played at random, either. Every blast follows a code, and the key to that code is printed on a sandwich board the crier wears, so anyone on the promenade or the cliff path can work out which call means what. We love a sighting system built on nothing more than a dried kelp horn and a sandwich board! The crier is on foot from 10am to 4pm every day of the season, and a few well-known names have taken up the horn since 1992:
- Pieter Claasen became the first whale crier in August 1992, while he was working at the Old Harbour.
- Wilson Salukazana held the role for eight years and became one of the most photographed men in Hermanus.
- Pasika Noboba took up the horn in September 2008, and today the whale crier of Hermanus is Silize Kuka.
What brings the whales so close to town? Southern right whales travel from Antarctica to the sheltered waters of Walker Bay to breed and calve, and the season lasts from June to November. A 12 km clifftop path follows the coastline, and the whales often come so close to shore that you won't need binoculars at all. Visitors who want to get closer still can take a boat trip out onto Walker Bay. Now that's what we call front-row seats, mense!
Q: When does the whale crier walk the streets of Hermanus?
A: Every day from 10am to 4pm during whale season, which lasts from June to November. The crier walks the town with a horn made of dried kelp and blows a coded call when whales are sighted in Walker Bay. The key to the code is printed on the sandwich board the crier wears, so visitors can work out what each call means and where to point their cameras. Southern right whales come to the bay to breed and calve.
Whales of the Casino Floor & Our Highest Deposit Limits
Back on dry land, a whale at a casino is whoever places the biggest bets in the room, and we've set our deposit limits with that Bok in mind. The highest single deposit at our high limit online casino is R100,000, and a whale has several methods to choose from. Each method has its own ceiling, and every amount is in rand, since ZAR is the currency we transact in at Springbok Casino. Here are our biggest single deposits, method by method:
- With EFTpay or InstantEFT, a single deposit can be as large as R100,000, straight from your bank account.
- With BetterEFT, a single deposit can be up to R65,000, from any of ten South African banks, Capitec included.
- Bitcoin, Ether and Tether (USDT) deposits are accepted up to R30,000 each, on their specified networks.
- Bitcoin Cash deposits are accepted up to R30,000, and Litecoin deposits up to R25,000.
Which one is right for a whale, then? If you bank online with ABSA, FNB, Nedbank, Bidvest, Investec, TymeBank or Old Mutual, EFTpay or InstantEFT will cover the largest deposit in one go. Crypto holders can sommer split a big top-up across Bitcoin and Ether instead. Every deposit at our high limit online casino is protected by Secure SSL Encryption, and the full amount is credited in rand. That's a lekker big pond for a whale to swim in!
Q: How much can I deposit in one go at Springbok Casino?
A: Up to R100,000 in a single deposit, through EFTpay or InstantEFT from your bank account. With BetterEFT, a single deposit can be up to R65,000, and Bitcoin, Ether, Tether and Bitcoin Cash deposits are accepted up to R30,000 each. Litecoin deposits are accepted up to R25,000. Every deposit is credited in rand, and all banking at our high limit online casino is protected by Secure SSL Encryption.
Special High Roller Freebies – Inbox Offers for a Whale at Springbok
Springbok generously rewards big spending Bokke… or whales! Special high roller freebies at our high limit online casino are something to look forward to in your account inbox, where we send live and personalised offers, and a monthly High Roller special is a regular in the line-up. The terms change every month, so confirm each offer in your inbox before you redeem it. On our promotions page, two standing offers are made for a big deposit:
|
Feature |
SPRINGBOK300 |
Welcome package |
|
Match |
300% on any deposit |
100%, then 50% twice |
|
Minimum deposit |
R20 |
R25 |
|
Maximum bonus |
R9,000 |
R11,500 across three deposits |
|
Wagering |
30x deposit plus bonus |
30x deposit plus bonus |
What does SPRINGBOK300 look like at full stretch? On a R3,000 deposit, you get 300% in bonus rand, which is R9,000 on top of your R3,000 – a balance of R12,000! R9,000 is the maximum bonus, so the full bonus is yours from R3,000. The wagering is 30 times that combined R12,000, so R360,000 is played through before a withdrawal, in slots, Keno, Bingo, Scratch Cards or 7 Stud Poker. It's a big number, Bokke, but a whale is built for deep water!
Comp points are collected on every rand of that wagering as well. We award one comp point for every R10 wagered at our high limit online casino, so 36,000 points are collected on R360,000 of play, and at 100 points to R1 that's R360 to redeem in the cashier's Redeem Comps section. The minimum redemption is 100 points, so you can gooi your points back into play long before the playthrough is complete. That's R360 on top of any winnings!
Q: Where do I find high roller offers at Springbok Casino?
A: In your account inbox and message centre, where we send live and personalised offers, including the monthly High Roller special. The terms change every month, so confirm each offer there before you redeem it. For a standing offer on any deposit, our 300% match is listed on the promotions page and redeemed in the cashier's Redeem Coupon section. Every offer at our high limit online casino is in rand.
Your Whale-Sized Win – Withdrawals at Our High Limit Online Casino
Withdrawals at Springbok Online Casino are paid by wire transfer or Bitcoin, free of charge, from R500 up to R25,000 per week. Before your first payout, we verify your account in line with FICA, to confirm that the details you gave at registration are yours. You can submit your documents through the Account Verification link in the cashier, and the three below are all that's required before your first withdrawal. This is what we need from you:
- A colour copy of the front and back of a government-issued photo ID, showing your full name rather than initials.
- Proof of address in colour and no older than 90 days, for example a utility bill or bank statement.
- If you've used cryptocurrency to deposit or withdraw, a photo of you holding that ID beside your face.
Once you're verified, withdrawals are processed from Monday to Friday, and the process begins 48 hours, or two business days, after we receive your request. Your request is sent to our cashier department, and we send a confirmation email when it's processed. Confirm your banking or Bitcoin wallet details before you submit, since a processed payout is mos final. From there, it's smooth sailing for any whale at our high limit online casino!
There's a good reason to get verified early at our high limit online casino, too. With an approved account, your first withdrawal request is ready for processing. We verify accounts for your protection as much as ours, because we confirm that the person withdrawing is the person who registered. For a whale-sized win, management may set a higher withdrawal amount at its discretion – one more reason to have your documents approved early!
Q: On which days are Springbok Casino withdrawals processed?
A: Monday to Friday. The withdrawal process begins 48 hours, or two business days, after we receive your request, and we send a confirmation email when the payout is processed. Withdrawals by wire transfer or Bitcoin are free of charge, from a minimum of R500 up to R25,000 per week, and your account needs to be FICA-verified in the cashier before your first payout at our high limit online casino.
Hear the Kelp Horn? Make Your Whale-Sized Deposit at Springbok!
The whale crier's horn is calling, Bokke, and the Springbok Casino cashier is open for single deposits of up to R100,000. Whale season in Hermanus lasts until November, but at our high limit online casino it lasts all year! Pair a big deposit with our 300% match, keep an eye out for those high roller freebies, and set your budget before you dive in, because a whale plays best with a plan. Terms can change, so confirm before redeeming… then enjoy the jol!