Exciting marine encounters, 16 October 2019
Written by October 16 2019
We started our first trip early morning today, setting out on a calm ocean in search of marine wildlife. We had plenty to see out there, ranging from the great whales to our endangered African penguins. The swell and waves picked up throughout the day, but that gave for some really exciting encounters. We got to see the Southern right whales really well, as they like to roll around in the swell and come up high over the waves so that we get to see their heads very well out of the water. We encountered several mother and juvenile pairs throughout the day, including the white brindle whale that we have been seeing the last couple of days. On our third trip out, this beautiful white whale even gave us an amazing show of its tail out of the water. The Bronze whaler sharks were also very active today, and on the last trip of the day we were incredibly lucky to see one leaping out of the waves. It often seems that when the waves start to pick up so does the activity of the animals, which is always very exciting for us as the observers.
Photos from today
Adult brindle Southern right whale seen on trip one
Southern right whale picking up kelp with her tail
Southern right whale spyhopping in the early morning
Dark adult and brindle juvenile
Dark adult and brindle juvenile
Brindle Southern right whale playing with its tail
Brindle Southern right whale playing with its tail
The head of the brindle whale
Southern right whale in the swell
African penguins
Face to face with a Bronze whaler shark
Our boat Slashfin with Bronze whaler sharks
Cape fur seals
Cape fur seals on Geyser rock
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.
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
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.
