Dolphins! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 1 August
Written by August 1 2022
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 01 August 2022:
While the whales sadly evaded us on our trips today we were pleasantly surprised by sightings of two different dolphin species! We saw both the endangered Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins and Bottlenose Dolphins on our first trip of the day. On both trips, we enjoyed our ever-inquisitive 60,000-strong Cape Fur seal colony on Geyser rock and even spotted some endangered African Penguins on Dyer Island. Over by our shark cage diving vessel, Slashfin, we witnessed some beautiful Bronze Whaler shark action! We also spotted some incredible birdlife including; White Chinned Petrels, Sooty Shearwater, Sub Antarctic Skuas and some impressive Shy Albatrosses!
Trip 1.
Trip 2.
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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.
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.
Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose Dolphin
At present there are two recognized species of bottlenose dolphin, and in some cases, both species can be found in the same area. The two species are the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus). In addition, there is a great deal of variation in colouration, diet and behaviour. The difference between the common bottlenose and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin are subtle, but the common bottlenose dolphin generally larger and more robust with a slight darker colouration.
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.
