5/5! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 14 September
Written by September 14 2022
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 14 September 2022:
We had two fantastic trips out at sea today, seeing the Marine Big 5 on our first trip and 4/5 on our second! On the first trip, we were lucky to have encountered some endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins in our bay and shortly afterwards, a cow-calf Southern Right whale pair. Trip two had incredible Southern Right whale sightings, having seen 3 cow-calf pairs including a very rare brindle calf!
Over at the shark cage diving vessel, Slashfin, the Bronze Whaler sharks gave us a spectacular show around the cage before we headed over to our island systems. Over in the world-famous Shark Alley, the acrobatics of the 60,000-strong Cape Fur seal colony had us all smiling on board. Dyer island also did not disappoint as we spotted numerous endangered African Penguins amidst the Cape Cormorants. Not only did we have some great looks at our Marine Big 5 animals, but we also had some beautiful bird activity, having witnessed a flock of approximately 20,000 Cape Cormorants sitting on the surface of the water on both trips.
A very big thank you to everyone who joined us on board, it was a pleasure having you with us!
Trip 1.
Trip 2.
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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.
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
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.
Cape Cormorant Cape Cormorant
One of the most famous species of Cormorant in the Western Cape, the Cape Cormorant is well known for it's beautiful turquoise eye and impressive size.
