Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 03 September
Written by September 3 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 03 September 2025:
Our day began with an early departure from Kleinbaai Harbour, heading out into the bay with low swell and a mildly increasing wind. Towards Danger Point, guests were able to see the very site where the HMS Birkenhead ran aground, before proceeding with the intention of finding some whales. Multiple spouts from Humpback whales and the Bryde’s whale were identified, with brief looks at each. Our second trip was a bit luckier with some active humpback whales. Amongst the spouts, a range of pelagic birds gracefully flew within proximity of the vessel, including albatross, Cape gannets and petrel species. In search of additional sightings, Pearly Beach was visited next, providing African penguin sightings en route, before visiting their local colony on Dyer Island itself. Entering Shark Alley, the thousands-strong Cape fur seal colony provided an up-close sighting of the curious and playful seals, moving through the clear waters. The final stop in the shallow waters of Joubertsdam offered guests the opportunity to witness active Bronze whaler sharks and even the prehistoric Broadnose sevengill shark at the cage diving vessels. Towards the end of the day, we could find three humpback dolphins close to shore.
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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.
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.
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.
