Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 02 February
Written by February 2 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 02 February 2026:
Spectacular, magical and fin-tastic. There are no better words to describe the glorious day we had out in the ocean today. Our trip had to launch from Gansbaai harbour due to low tide in our bay, which was an advantage to us as we encountered not only a big pod of common dolphins, pelagic birds, but also some Bryde’s whales just around Danger Point. After some jaw-dropping looks at these beautiful animals, we made our way to Dyer Island and Geyser Rock for the African Penguins and Cape fur seals. A final stop was made in shark alley as everyone got a good glimpse of our local bronze whaler sharks with a short-tailed stingray making a surprise appearance, which was a lovely way to end the day.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
Common Dolphin Common Dolphin
With an 'hourgalss' patch on either side and aerial activity the common dolphin is an agile and majestic species, that may easily reach a speed of 40km/h.
Cape Gannet Cape Gannet
Well documented for their aireal displays, experiences with with the famous Cape Gannet are always breath taking, and hold a special place in every photographers portfolio.
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.
