A Beautiful Brydes Whale And Some Night Light Jellyfish In The Bay, 07 May 2019
We got to see sharks, penguins, seals, a whale and more...
Written by Jax Bath, May 7 2019
Guide Summary.
It was a beautiful day out on the Atlantic, with us managing 4 out of Marine Big 5! The swell has dropped quite a bit from yesterday, and we were able to have a lovely cruise around the bay with a couple of interesting sights. Our first animal of the day was a Copper Shark who took quite the fancy to our boat. As we stopped and waited in The Shallows for a shark to appear at our sister company, we had one of these curious animal’s swim below us, with a beautiful silhouette giving away her presence. We watched as the shark circled again and again before we decided to take off and visit Dyer Island.
At the island, we spotted some beautiful Night Light Jellyfish in the water. These jellies have been more abundant this year than what we’ve seen in previous years, and we think that this may be linked to algae blooms. We also got to spot some African Penguins sitting on the island, in between the guano covered rocks.
Pinnipeds were our next port of call, with us making our way towards our booming colony of Cape Fur Seals. There were a fair amount of pups playing in the water and we watched as they went about their day. We also had lots of sleepy seals on the island who seemed to really be enjoying the sun.
Once we’d had our fill, we set out into the open ocean ,looking for any signs of life. It did not take too long for Kira’s eagle Eyes to find us the spot of a whale, and we spent the next 20 minutes enjoying our time with a very relaxed Brydes Whale. This beauty travelled right next to the boat and gave us some really awesome views. Brydes are the most elusive whale we have around, so we always feel really privileged when we’re able to share such as close encounter with them.
On our way back into Kleinbaai Harbour, we spotted 2 little African Penguins in the water doing some fishing. Finishing off our tour with a braying penguin and a feeling of contentment.
Daily Snaps.
We found this very relaxed Brydes Whale travelling behind the island.
This whale arched it’s back before taking a deep dive. The Brydes Whale is what we call negatively buoyant,which means that they sink instead of floating. Whilst fatty whales must life their flukes for a little help to go deeper, the Brydes Whale simply arches its back.
We identify individual whales using their dorsal fins.
This little penguin was calling to his friend at a bait ball. Penguins bray like donkeys.
Stunning seascapes today.
Little one’s first boat tour.
A juvenile Kelp Gull.
We haven’t seen the Night Light Jellies around in over a month, so it was exciting to find a few close to Dyer Island.
Some Penguins blending in.
A penguin standing out.
This seal was sitting with his mouth open for ages.
Safety in numbers.
Chaos in the alley.
Seal pups checking us out from a safe distance.
Here you can see how the breath of the Brydes Whale is leaving one of it’s blowholes. Whales are conscious breathers unlike us and baleen whales will have 2 blowholes.
The Brydes Whale has 3 distinct ridges on the head.
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
Cape Gannet Cape Gannet
Well documented for their aireal displays, experiences with with the famous Cape Gannet are always breath taking, and hold a special place in every photographers portfolio.
