A Day of Special Sightings, 20 October 2019
Written by October 20 2019
We had some great sightings out at sea today. Our Southern right whales made their usual appearance on all our trips today, but on top of that we also had some bonus humpback whale sightings. On the first trip of the day we encountered a subadult humpback whale, who turned out to be an individual that we have come to know quite well over the past few weeks. This whale has been hanging around close to Geyser rock since at least the 30th of September. On the second trip we also had a second humpback whale, and both of them were breaching, giving us an amazing show. The Southern right whales were calmer, giving us a great look at them as they quietly rolled around in the waves close to the coastline. On and around Dyer Island and Geyser rock we had plenty of wildlife to see today, with sightings of African penguins, Cape fur seals, plenty of cormorants, a black African oystercatcher and even a giant petrel. The sharks also didn’t disappoint, as we spotted a Great white shark in the morning, and spent the rest of the day seeing large numbers of Bronze whaler sharks. The cherry on top at the end of the day was a glimpse of an Indian Ocean humpback dolphin, and although this dolphin didn’t resurface near our boat it’s always nice to know that we are lucky to have these endangered little dolphins along the shore here.
Photos from today
Southern Right Whale
Southern Right Whale
Southern Right Whale saying Hi
Bronze Whaler shark under the surface
Bronze Whaler Shark fin with a Gull photobomb
Breaching Humpback Whales!
Some seals having a tiff
A young seal having a swim
A huge flock of Cape Cormorants
Our African Penguin among some Cormorants
African Penguins in the water
Black African Oystercatcher
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.
Great white sharks Great white sharks
Gracious, beautiful, misunderstood - three words used by guests of Dyer Island Cruises after witnessing South Africa's most infamous marine species: The Great White Shark.
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.
