5/5 Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 28 May
Written by May 28 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 28 May 2023:
What a special day to mark in our calendar this year! The first sighting of Southern Right whales this season! We headed out into the deeper water, hoping to spot some wildlife and first, we came across some fantastic feeding birds, we spotted some African penguins in the water and even saw two Shy albatrosses passing by. And suddenly our whale spotter Kira pointed out a whale in the distance, we couldn’t believe our eyes, realizing that it is indeed a Southern Right whale in front of us! Emotions ran high and we were so lucky to spot it, but the whale was rather shy and didn’t stay around us for long, we then moved towards Dyer Island, thinking that it was it. After visiting Sponge Bay and enjoying some penguins on land we headed out to Shark Alley, but once again, we saw a spout in the distance and went to investigate: another Southern Right whale! Incredible sightings with everyone being able to see the animal on the surface. Happy and satisfied with our whale sightings we visited the Cape Fur seal colony at Geyser Rock and headed back to the Shallows to see some sharks. We were lucky to spot quite a few Bronze Whaler sharks and even a Short-tail stingray around a shark cage diving vessel. On the way back, moving along the coast we had a brief sighting of an Indian Ocean Humpback dolphin. 5/5 Marine Big 5 day for us!
Tripadvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
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.
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.
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.
