5/5 Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 30 June
Written by June 30 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 30 June 2024:
Beautiful day for our lucky guests and crew! 5 out of 5 Marine big five on today’s tour! We launched out of Kleinbaai harbour and moved along the coastline, calm waters let us get nice and close to the shore, and there we spotted 5 Humpback dolphins! We had some lovely sightings of those five individuals and once everyone was happy and had a good view we ventured to the shark cage diving vessel to enjoy some Bronze Whaler sharks, which didn’t disappoint! We did not miss a chance to visit the island system where we spotted some African penguins on Dyer Island and thousands of Cape Fur seals on Geyser Rock. We had to go into the deeper water to find some whales: a few moments later we had a very brief sighting of a Bryde’s whale and then two Humpback whales! Our luck didn’t run out then, we encountered another Humpback whale who gave us the best sightings! On the way back to the harbour we came across many African penguins busy fishing in the open water. An incredible way to finish up the trip!
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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.
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.
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.
Brydes Whale Brydes Whale
The mysterious Bryde's whales visit the Dyer Island area throughout the year, with most sightings occurring during summer into winter.
Giant Petrel Giant Petrel
Around the Greater Dyer Island area we encounter both species of Giant Petrel, the Southern Giant Petrel and Northern Giant Petrel.
