Four of the Marine Big Five! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by November 10 2020

It has been another great day for whale watching with lots of sunshine and just a slight breeze from the south-east. Just as we moved on from Uilenkraalmond, our spotter Kira, saw a spout of Southern Right whales. As we carefully approached the cow-calf pair we saw a small group of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins close to shore and decided to have a look at the dolphins before approaching the whales further. The two Southern Right whales were clearly relaxed around our boat and came up frequently nearby. As we still had lots to discover we moved on to Dyer Island to see the endangered African penguin and Geyser Rock to watch Cape Fur seals. Lots of the seals were having a cool off in the waters of Shark Alley today and were very playful with each other. On the way back to Kleinbaai harbour we made turn through deeper waters behind the Dyer Island ecosystem and found a couple more penguins and Cape cormorant.
What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.