Bryde’s Whale! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by March 27 2021
We had some drizzle this morning but luckily by the time we launched it did stop. On today’s tour we were heading along the coast past the shark cage diving boats and across a reef system where we encountered thousands of Cape cormorants making their way back towards Dyer Island. Although they are the most abundant seabirds in the area it is always spectacular to see them flying past you in such great numbers. From there just a bit further out we had a sighting of a Bryde’s whale surfacing a few times. Geyser Rock, the Cape fur seal colony was packed today with thousands of seal taking a rest and closer to Dyer Island we saw more Cape cormorants and had a distant look at some of the endangered African penguins.
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.
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.
