Bryde’s whale and more! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by December 20 2020
On today’s trip it’s been now the third trip in a row seeing a bunch of Cape cormorant out at sea. Closer to the cormorants we captured a few images before moving on into the deeper waters as our spotter Kira did see some blows of a whale and to our surprise, we found a very relaxed Bryde’s whale. This species is usually known to be somewhat shy and elusive but this one kept frequently coming up next to our vessel. After having spend some quality time with the whale we moved on towards Dyer Island where we managed to see more cormorants, Giant petrels, African penguins and some terns. And after a visit to the Cape Fur seal colony, we were heading back down to the coast to find some sharks and a stingray at one of the cage diving operators. What a fun filled trip with lots of marine life.
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
