An Easterly Wind And A Beautiful Brydes Whale, 16 May 2019
We got to see 4 members of our Marine Big 5 as well as 2 Albatross and an Ocean Sunfish.
Written by Jax Bath, May 16 2019
A Write Up Of Today's Tour.
Today, we all enjoyed some salty seawater as we made our way over the swell and through our beautiful bay. we had the wind blowing from the east and enjoyed some sunshine towards the end of our tour. Due to the tide, we launched at 11 today and made our way along the beach, stopping at our sister company where we got to see a Bronze Whaler Shark play with some kelp.
After this stop, we stayed sheltered by The Clyde reef system, moving towards Dyer Island and picking up some kelp along the way. At the island, we took a stop on both sides to spot some African Penguins and talk about the rich history of this area. Around our islands, we couldn’t help but to notice a concentration of Night Light Jellyfish.
We spent the next while cruising up and down Shark Alley where we had our Cape Fur Seals putting on a real show. Jumping and shaking and staring as we moved by, the seals are always one of the highlights of the day.
Behind the island, we spotted a variety of pelagic seabirds, which included a couple of close passes from some beautiful Shy Albatross. As we moved along, Eduard spotted an unusual creature. An Ocean Sunfish was travelling through the area, so we stopped a while to watch this massive bony fish go about his day.
To top off our tour, we ended off things with a stunning sighting of a Brydes Whale who gave us a nice, close pass before we got to watch as he came up with the swell a few minutes on. All in all, an awesome time on the Atlantic.
Today's Best Photos.
We found this gentle giant on our way towards Danger Point.
It’s always lovely to watch as they erupt from the ocean.
This African Penguin has been on her nest for a few weeks now.
A seal giving us the beady eye.
Have you ever seen a seal stand up straight?
A Night Light Jellyfish in Shark Alley.
Some more penguins at the top of Dyer Island, can you see the chicks?
It looks like this seal is trying to keep a secret.
Capturing memories.
A large Ocean Sunfish or Mola Mola we found just behind the Island.
Hospital Rock, fishermen used to believe that sick or injured would come here to recover.
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.
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.
