Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 05 January
Written by January 5 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 05 January 2023:
Whilst the conditions may have been a bit choppy on the sea the sun was shining and we had a fantastic trip this morning. We launched from Kleinbaai harbour and made our way along the coastal waters keeping an eye out for any marine wildlife. We were lucky to encounter some of the Endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins that were visiting the bay, with a group of four seen enjoying the shallow waters. We then made our way to the shark cage diving boats, where our sister company, Marine Dynamics was having successful sightings of the Bronze whaler sharks. As we made our way to the islands we happened upon three adult African penguins out in the water and sent some time watching them from a distance as they floated on the water’s surface. To round out our trip we sent some time having a closer look at Dyer Island and its bird colony along with Geyser Rock and Shark Alley with the Cape fur seals basking in the sunshine on the island and cooling off in the water.
Trip 1
Tripadvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
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 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.
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.