Albatross!!! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 14 April
Written by April 14 2022
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 14 April 2022:
It was a cloudy morning as we set out on our Marine Big 5 trip. Just a few minutes outside the harbour, we spotted 3 Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins in the shallow waters, a lovely surprise after a few weeks of not having seen them. On our way towards the islands, we were fortunate enough to have spotted some pelagic seabirds including Sooty Shearwaters, White-chinned Petrels, Terns, Giant Petrels and our first beautiful sighting of a Shy Albatross this year! The Cape Fur seals were welcoming as we entered Shark Alley and we were able to spot some seals on Dyer Island before heading out to deeper waters. After a few looks around, a Bryde’s whale made its appearance and gave us some lovely views. Around the shark cage diving boats, we were also able to have a short look at a Bronze Whaler shark and a glimpse of a Short-Tailed Stingray just below the surface before heading back to land.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
