The sky was soot grey, the sea pounding against the cliffs, when suddenly a massive tail breached through the turbulence.
"That's a bloody whale!" I yelled.
"Nonsense," said my husband. "It can't be, it's not the whale season yet."
We peered into the gloom and then there it was again. A giant tail surging upwards. There was no doubt, it was a whale - and what's more, from the shape, it was a humpback. I'd never seen a humpback off these waters, for usually it was the great southern right that thrilled us with its immenseness.
There was no doubt though - you could tell from the scalloped edges of the humpback's tail, rather like a delicate embroidered tablecloth. What a remarkable sight.
This is not the traditional time for out-of-towners to visit the Cape, mainly because of the notorious winter weather. Bone-chilling, wet and windy. Yet, other than for the past week, the sun has been shining and winter seems to have stuck itself in Gauteng.
What used to be called the Green Season and is now the Secret Season - or, is it the other way round? - is happening right now and the advantages of being in the Cape are numerous. For starters, there really are excellent accommodation bargains everywhere. Exclusive guesthouses all have special offers, as do hotels and bed and breakfast establishments.
But the best thing of all is that everything is easy and there are no crowds.
Just the other day we went ambling through the winelands. What a pleasure. The winter light soft, the mountains every shade of brown, grey and red and green, everything seemed a rich green.
When people visit Tuscany, they comment on the different shades of green. They've seen nothing. While driving through Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, we stopped the car and I did a "green" count. In one eye wink there were 43 shades of green. Now that's a fair amount of greenery.
We had intended eating at the Lord Neethling Restaurant overlooking the curling vineyards of the Papegaaiberg. Instead, we opted for the more informal La Masseria where host Lorenzo Ciman regales winers and diners to opera while they eat the hearty food his wife Mikki has lovingly prepared.
The Cimans are serious cheese folk, which means you should visit there anyway just to sniff, taste and savour cheeses to make your heart sing.
In Stellenbosch, unless it's absolutely pelting down, and chances are it won't be, the thing to do is to park your car and walk, for here is where you'll find some of the most interesting buildings in the country.
The undulating walls, the gables, the slave bells, the oaks, wherever you walk, you're knocking on history's door. But what's also nice is that this is a university town, which means there are plenty of young people around plus an excellent selection of good and reasonable eateries.
Samie's se Winkel, the oldest trading store in town, sells everything from twak to herbal remedies for gout, upset stomachs or backache. There too you'll find wonderfully glitzy costume jewellery from the time of the Titanic and ancient gardening implements which still work. Tea and cake in the back courtyard are a must and you'll share your table with a large red rooster with attitude, who particularly enjoys carrot cake.
Remember that in September, the town holds its Stellenbosch Festival, which consists of music, a cheese and wine expo and a heritage cultural mini festival.
Today the village of Franschhoek (which is not really a village) has more than 30 restaurants and a few of them make the "Top Best" lists every year. The guest houses here are also legendary and prices are presently seasonally low.
If you're in this part of the world, you really should consider overnighting at the Nuy Vallei guest house which is situated on the wine farm. Nuy produces the best "soet" wines in this country and the word to describe them is aphrodisiacal.
Another great Cape-escape winter activity is museums. It's a funny thing, when South Africans travel overseas, they rush from museum to museum. Yet back home, very few ever bother to trot around and see what's on offer.
Cape Town's new Jewish Museum is stunning. In fact, in the Company Gardens area you can go on a museum crawl starting with the South African Cultural Museum, (the old Slave Lodge), ending up at the South African Museum.
You come away feeling happily South African and surprised at the considerable mixture which makes up our nation.
A short drive away is the District Six Museum, also essential viewing.
In the centre of town, art galleries are scattered like confetti - the National Gallery and Old Town House Michaelis are time consuming, but my best is the small Irma Stern Museum in Rosebank. Situated in her old house, it is one of those magical places that you enter and don't want to leave because her presence is everywhere.
I once met her before she died. A huge woman, she really was larger than life in every way, her magnificent art bears that out. But also of interest is her extensive personal collection of African art and sculpture, one of the best I've seen anywhere.
Although Gautengers are not exactly without excellent shopping facilities, the Cape does offer something different.
For instance, just wandering along Long Street is an education in itself. The secondhand bookstores are plentiful and you can pick up incredible bargains for next to nothing.
There's a button and bead store which is truly an Aladdin's delight. I think in my last life, I must have been an Indian princess because each time I enter the portals of this sparkling shop, I'm lost. I come out with handfuls of the most extraordinary buttons which I attach to every garment I own.
The Pan African Market is a huge old Victorian building with all three floors filled with artists and craftsellers from our entire continent. It's another place in which you can get lost. Besides the traditional masks, salad spoons and bowls, tin and wire work, you'll find original art, stone sculptures and a myriad of genuinely unusual artworks.
Take an hour or two off and go for a steam bath and a massage at the Long Street Baths but remember, men and women have different days, which is a pity if you think about it.
A few months ago, an all-over massage was R35 which has to be the best value in Cape Town.
For sheer brash fun, the newish Century City shopping complex cannot be beat. And what's interesting there is that although you get your usual shops, there's also a selection of small stores I've not seen before in this country. For instance, one sells beautiful embroidered garments from India which are quite exquisite and the Century City Woolworths is the best in the country with a layout reminiscent of top New York shopping legends such as Macy's.
If the sun is shining, you can do your energetic thing with ease. The cablecar is never full, walks - such as those up Signal Hill or Lion's Head- are not overcrowded and adventure activities such as climbing, sailing, windsurfing, hiking and riding are accessible.
Two weeks ago, there were people tanning themselves on the beaches, there were sails bobbing around and seals and dolphins performing. Today, the folks and boats are resting, but seals and dolphins are a plenty - and, if you're lucky, you'll even see a humpback whale or two.
Because of the rains, water sports can be hectic, so always be guided by local experts.
Whether you stay in Cape Town and surrounds, go trundling up the west or east coast or wander into the hinterland, do it now - there are bargains waiting to be snapped up by intrepid Gautengers.