An Epic Ocean Adventure, 13 May 2019
What a day! We got to see 2 different species of shark and so much more...
Written by Jax Bath, May 13 2019
Guide Summary.
we were certainly very lucky today, catching up with 4 of the Marine Big 5 including a Great White Shark. Our trip started off in shallow water, with us making our away through the bay hoping to find some dolphins. We had a new arrival in the bay today, with Fingers, one of our iconic Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins. Fingers gets his name from the shape of his dorsal fin, and it is always lovely to see an old friend.
Once this dolphin disappeared, we made our way over to our sister company, Marine Dynamics where we were really spoiled. We started off with a slighting of A Copper Shark, who had some fun interacting with the boat. After only a few minutes of watching this beautiful species, we heard their crew call “Great White” and were elated to see a gorgeous White Shark appear in front of the boat, lunging in for the bait and showing off its dorsal fin. Alfred, our bait handler, expertly guided the shark next to the cage where divers were eagerly waiting for an underwater view. After all this excitement, we carried on with our tour.
An African Penguin was our next find, with this little gem coming right up to our boat to the joy of all. Seeing penguins in the water is always a treat, because their black and white colouration makes them easy to spot in the blue water. We went on to see a few more Penguins on Dyer Island before making our way out of Sponge Bay and into the sharky waters between Geyser Rock and Dyer. The seals seemed unperturbed by the thought of sharks, with hundreds of our pinnipeds enjoying the waters of the Atlantic. We had lots of surfing seals and some general tomfoolery in the water, which made for an enjoyable stop. We finished off our tour with a cruise through deeper water to see what else we could find before heading home.
Daily Snaps.
Just a Cape Fur Seal peaking at us.
Our little pups are not so little anymore, sitting right at the top of the rocks.
Quarreling Cape Fur Seals.
Watching the seals surf is always awesome, their silhouettes in the waves are something I’m always trying to capture.
I had to include this, Look at the face of this seal.
Fingers, the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin.
Fingers has been in and out the bay for the past 2 weeks.
We had both Copper Sharks and Great White Sharks around the boat.
The shark sightings were fantastic today.
The face of one of our Great White Sharks around the boat.
This was a pretty active White Shark, giving their divers a thrill sure to last a lifetime.
This African Penguin popped up right next the boat.
This smartly dressed bird was hunting innside the bay.
There were lots of penguins hanging out on the island today.
A beautiful Night Light jellyfish.
Geyser Rock after a little rain.
Fun in the water.
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
