Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 10 June
Written by June 11 2023

Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 10 June 2023:
Another exciting day at sea filled with Humpback whales, Bronze Whaler sharks, Cape Fur seals, African penguins and even a lucky sighting of Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins. We launched from Kleinbaai harbour and almost instantly saw some penguins on the surface occasionally diving for the fish. We ventured a little bit farther out to find some whales and succeeded spotting some Humpback whales in the deeper waters. And of course, we didn’t skip on visiting the island system, where we enjoyed some incredible Cape Fur seals and African penguins on land. By our sister company’s vessel, Slashfin, we spotted some Bronze whalers.
Trip 1.
Trip 2.
What species did we see today?
Bronze Whaler Shark Bronze Whaler Shark
The Bronze whaler (also known as Copper sharks) here in Kleinbaai are very curious and interactive. These sharks eat mostly fish, with sardines being one of their favourites.
Humpback Whale Humpback Whale
One of the best-known whale species, they are renowned for their acrobatic behaviour and complex melodious song as well as extremely long flippers and are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin
Humpback dolphins are an endangered species, with small populations living very close to shore, typically in water less than 25m deep and an average home range of 120km. Their proximity to land makes these animals particularly vulnerable to human influence.
African Penguin African Penguin
As one of only 17 penguin species left in the world (and the only one on the african continent), the african penguin often breed in offshore colonies, such as Dyer Island.
Cape fur seal Cape fur seal
With a local population of 60,000, it's no wonder our guests capture so many photographs of these wonderfully playful marine mammals.