Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 05 April
Written by April 5 2023

Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 05 April 2023:
Our trip today saw a fantastic start when shortly after departing Kleinbaai harbour, we encountered a pod of the endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins! These dolphins cruised calmly with us for some time in the shallow, coastal waters until we began making our way to our shark cage diving vessel, Slashfin. Over by Slashfin, we saw numerous beautiful Bronze Whaler sharks around the boat. Next, we passed over the reef system and headed into some deeper waters. Out here we witnessed many diving birds including; Cape Cormorants, Cape Gannets, Greater Crested Terns, and even some African Penguins. After this, we made a stop by Dyer Island where we were fortunate enough to get a glimpse of the African Penguin on land. We then passed through the world-famous Shark Alley where the 60,000-strong Cape Fur seal colony delighted everyone on board with their antics. After this, it was time to head back to the harbour. With 4 of the Marine Big 5 spotted today, we certainly had a fabulous day out at sea!
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.