Marin Big 5 Daily Blog 12 December
Written by December 12 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 12 December 2023:
What a great day out at sea for us. Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us we headed towards the coastal area. Shortly after the start of the trip, we encountered the endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins. Moving on we stopped by the Shallows where Shark cage diving takes place. Our guests got to enjoy the amazing Bronze whaler sharks in front of the cage of our sister company Marine Dynamics. After spending some time with them we headed over to the Island System. On our way, we were even lucky enough to have spotted a raft of African Penguins. Once arrived, we entered Shark Alley to watch the Cape fur seals relaxing on Geyser Rock and splashing around in the water. Shortly after we headed out into deeper waters where we spotted our final sighting of the Marine Big 5, a Bryde’s Whale. After some time we let the whale be and headed back to Kleinbaai Harbour.
Trip 1
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
