Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 04 December
Written by December 4 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 04 December 2023:
We had a sunny day ahead of us and great conditions out at sea. We left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us and had some great encounters out there. Inside our bay, we got to see some active Bronze whaler sharks while stopping by the shark cage diving vessels. The sharks did not disappoint and excited our guests on the boat and the divers in the cage alike. On one of our trips, we were even lucky enough to have spotted a pod of Bottlenose dolphins enjoying the swell in the Shallows. A stop at our Island system could of course not be missed. Heading into Shark Alley left our guests in awe seeing all the Cape fur seals on Geyser Rock and in the Alley cooling down. As usual, we paid the endangered African Penguins, which were sunbathing on the boulders of Dyer Island, a visit.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose Dolphin
At present there are two recognized species of bottlenose dolphin, and in some cases, both species can be found in the same area. The two species are the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus). In addition, there is a great deal of variation in colouration, diet and behaviour. The difference between the common bottlenose and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin are subtle, but the common bottlenose dolphin generally larger and more robust with a slight darker colouration.
Cape Cormorant Cape Cormorant
One of the most famous species of Cormorant in the Western Cape, the Cape Cormorant is well known for it's beautiful turquoise eye and impressive size.
