Whale and bird watching

What you can expect – A typical trip with Marine Dynamics Whale Tours

When you book a trip with us, the evening before your tour we will contact you or your accommodation to confirm the time of your tour.  Trip times vary with weather and tide conditions. Once you have arrived at The Great White House, you will receive a brief introductory talk about the route, safety, and what to look out for. Passengers are fitted with comfortable life-jackets and waterproof jackets. Safety is of the outmost importance. We have extensive public liability insurance.

Trip lengths are between 2 and 2.5 hours, depending on sightings and weather conditions.  All cruises depart from Kleinbaai harbour near Gansbaai.  Found only in Gansbaai, Dyer Island is located 8 km from shore and is an access controlled Important Bird Area (IBA) for the conservation of its many resident bird species, including African penguins. Adjacent to Dyer Island is Geyser Rock, home to a 60,000 strong Cape fur seal colony. These seals are present all year round. We will take you into the channel of water between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock known as the world-famous ‘Shark Alley’.  We will then take you to the whale hot spots in the bay.  With over two decades of experience, not only do we know where to expect the best whale viewings, but the whales have also learned where to expect us!  We boast South Africa’s largest boat-based whale identity catalogue and we see re-sightings of the same individual whales year after year.

FREE trip to the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary!

Every Marine Dynamics Whale Tours guest also gets a free visit to APSS – our dedicated seabird rehabilitation facility.

The APSS was born out of necessity. When the Dyer Island Conservation Trust was founded, the community immediately began reporting or bringing injured wildlife to the DICT’s headquarters. While minor injuries could easily be remedied by the DICT’s marine biologists, more severe or prolonged conditions could not be treated in Gansbaai due to the area’s lack of facilities. As the DICT’s influence spread further throughout the Overberg, more and more injured wildlife were being reported to the team.

It became apparent that the only way we could truly make a difference to the wildlife in Gansbaai, and respond to all the increasing call for help, was to build a rehabilitation center in the heart of the Overberg.