Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 03 November
Written by November 3 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 03 November 2025:
What a beautiful day to be on the water, just a light breeze and hardly any swell. Throughout the day, we had some great sightings of the Southern right whales, mostly in Pearly Beach. Some of the calves are getting big quickly and starting to play and strengthen their muscles before soon returning to the feeding grounds in the southern ocean. Another highlight was the Cape fur seal colony, with thousands of them basking in the sun and just as many having a swim in the cool waters of the famous Shark Alley. At Dyer Island, we were lucky to see the critically endangered African penguin and other coastal seabirds.
Some of our trips were fortunate to pass the shark cage diving vessels and witness a couple of Bronze Whaler sharks. The Indian Ocean humpback dolphins were sighted by a few trips in close vicinity to the shoreline, allowing all the Marine Big 5 to be ticked off for 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.
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.
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.
