Birds and whales! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by February 6 2021
The ocean has been full of life today and we had no wind and lot of sunshine at sea! After leaving Kleinbaai harbour we set course towards Danger Point, where we spotted a lot of different seabirds, Cape gannet, African penguin, Sooty shearwater, Arctic skua, Cape cormorants and terns diving into the sea and feeding on some smaller bait fish. Out in deeper waters in the Pearly Beach area we manged to find a Bryde’s whale of which we could get some great looks. After having watched the whale surfacing a few times we continued to Geyser Rock, as we wanted to see more Cape Fur seals and also made a stop at Dyer Island for some more seabirds. Closer to the island we encountered another pelagic bird species we are lucky to sometimes find out at sea, some Giant Petrels. Having had a closer look, we saw it has been a Northern and a Southern Giant petrel feasting on a dead seal, they are well known to be the scavengers of the ocean. What a great trip with so many different species of birds and a whale!
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
Bank Cormorant Bank Cormorant
Often enjoying a broad diet including klipfish, rock lobster and more, the increasing rarety of the Bank Cormorant makes every moment we see them even more special.
Cape Gannet Cape Gannet
Well documented for their aireal displays, experiences with with the famous Cape Gannet are always breath taking, and hold a special place in every photographers portfolio.
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.
White-breasted Cormorant White-breasted Cormorant
White-breasted Cormorant is the largest African cormorant and they have an iconic white chest, it is a favourite for many of our repeat visitors, and professional wildlife photographers.
