Many marine species, 12 October 2019
Written by October 13 2019
We couldn’t have asked for more today, we had it all: plenty of Southern right whales, one of which was a rare brindle (white) coloured whale, a humpback whale that was breaching and tail slapping, a surprise encounter with a very big Bryde’s whale, a pair of bottlenose dolphins in the middle of the day, a Great white shark, Bronze whaler sharks, our endangered African penguins and the playful Cape fur seals. Each trip was a bit different, but all of them included many amazing sightings of different species from our extensive list today. Our photos tell the rest of the story:
Photos from today
Southern right whales close to shore
Southern right whale head covered in callosities
A brindle (white) and usual dark coloured Southern right whale
Humpback whale lobtailing
Humpback whale lobtailing
Humpback whale breaching
Watching the humpback whale
A curious young Southern right whale that approached us
Southern right whale approaching us
Southern right whale approaching us
The tail of the brindle (white) whale
Bottlenose dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins
African penguins in the water
A playful Cape fur seal
Cape fur seals on Geyser rock
Many of the seals were in the water today
A curious Cape fur seal
African penguins on Dyer Island
A huge raft of Cape cormorants
Cape cormorants
A bronze whaler shark with our shark cage diving boat
We had really great conditions today
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.
Humpback Whale Humpback Whale
One of the best-known whale species, they are renowned for their acrobatic behaviour and complex melodious song as well as extremely long flippers and are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
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.
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.
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 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.
Great white sharks Great white sharks
Gracious, beautiful, misunderstood - three words used by guests of Dyer Island Cruises after witnessing South Africa's most infamous marine species: The Great White Shark.
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.
