Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 09 March
Written by March 9 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 09 March 2024:
Expecting a sunny day out at sea we were ready to head out for a new adventure! Welcoming both our trips on our Whale watching vessel Dream Catcher we left Kleinbaai Harbour behind and headed further into the bay. Moving closer to Uilenkraalsmond, the natural estuary, both trips were lucky to have spotted a pod of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins! Cruising down the coastline, the first trip even saw a raft of African Penguins. Moving on we stopped by Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin where we got a glimpse of the amazing Bronze whaler sharks. Not only were the sharks investigating the divers in the cage but they were also circling our Marine Big 5 vessel. Continuing the trips we made our way through the reef system over to the island system. The African Penguins were sitting by the beach on Dyer Island, whereas the Cape fur seals were playing and cooling down in Shark Alley and numerous seals were relaxing on Geyser Rock. Later on, we moved into deeper waters to see what else we might encounter out there. The second trip was blessed with a sighting of Bryde’s whales! Thanks again everyone for joining our Marine Big 5 tours!
Trip 1
Trip 2
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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.
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.
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.
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.
