5/5! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 25 July
Written by July 25 2022
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 25 July 2022:
5/5 species spotted today on an absolutely phenomenal Marine Big 5 trip! Departing the harbour we were extremely lucky to spot a Bottlenose Dolphin cruising in the surf which we watched for a short while. After this, we made our way to our shark cage diving vessel where we witnessed some brilliant action from the Bronze Whaler sharks around the cage. Not long after moving on from our shark boat, we came across a trio of beautifully calm Southern Right whales who stuck around for quite some time and even displayed some fascinating spy-hopping to the delight of our guests and crew on board! After this, we headed to our island systems where we enjoyed our ever inquisitive 60,000-strong Cape Fur seal colony on Geyser Rock. We then rounded off our perfect trip by a visit to Dyer Island where we spotted numerous endangered African Penguins on land!
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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.
Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose Dolphin
At present there are two recognized species of bottlenose dolphin, and in some cases, both species can be found in the same area. The two species are the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus). In addition, there is a great deal of variation in colouration, diet and behaviour. The difference between the common bottlenose and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin are subtle, but the common bottlenose dolphin generally larger and more robust with a slight darker colouration.
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.
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.
