A Southern Right Whale And More, 30 June 2019
We got to see 2 different types of whale on our tour today...
Written by Jax Bath, June 30 2019

Today's Whale Tale.
After two days off the ocean, we were eager to set out and see what was in store for us. We launched at around 10am and made our way along the shoreline to the shark cage diving boats to see if we could catch sight of one of these predators. We stopped at our sister company’s boat, Slashfin, and waited in anticipation for a view. The first shark moved just below the surface and we were able to see the silhouette. The second shark came up to investigate the boat a time or two, so we had some great photographic opportunities.
We then travelled over The Clyde reef system, picking up some kelp and talking about this fascinating seaweed before heading over towards Pearly Beach. Here, we had yet another sub adult Southern Right Whale. This whale was not the same one we saw a few days back, and its certainly interesting that we’ve been seeing so many young whales. Although this whale was hanging out in the swell, we got to see him very nicely. The whale did some spy hopping, checking us out over the swell before blowing some bubbles.
African Penguins were the next spot of the day, with a couple of these flightless birds heading out on a fishing expedition. We also saw some Night Light Jellyfish here before making our way into Shark Alley. We found an entangled seal, which was pretty sad to see, but we will be keeping our eyes out to see if we can capture this poor pup and take the next off its neck. We also had lots of playful seals in the water, which were lovely to watch.
We finished off our tour with a school of fish bringing in some action. We spotted a Brydes Whale travelling along, and stayed in the area to get a couple of looks. Whilst waiting for the whale we had lots of African Penguins surface, waiting for their lunch. We also had 2 Shy Albatross and some terns giving away the presence of prey. The whale eventually surfaced again when we spotted the bait ball, with this gentle giant moving towards the food. After surfacing a few times, the whale took a dive and we made our way into port, hearts content.
Daily Snaps.

An iconic fin.

We had an active Great White Shark around Slashfin today.

Here you can see the caudal fin sticking out behind the dorsal fin, which is often confused for two sharks.

The unusual sight of a bristle worm that we picked up with some kelp.

The holdfast also had a bristle star.

A little Southern Right Whale Tail action.

This whale had a white patch on its back, which can be seen on about 4% of the South African population.

Mystical seascapes today.

The Southern Right moving through the swell.

We had beautiful blue water today.

We were lucky to have the Southern Right do some spy hopping and some bubble blowing.

Watching whales.

A surveyor ship moving through the area.

A poor little seal entangled in a net.

Sometimes, we can successfully cut these ropes off if we find the seals in the water.

Checking us out.

A seal wiping her face.

A seal playing with a sponge.

A Shy Albatross soaring.

We had a school of fish moving through, which brought in some penguins, albatross, terns and a Brydes Whale.

We got a nice view of the whale as he swam towards the fish.

These whales can be secretive, so its great when you do get to see them.
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.