Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 07 March
Written by March 7 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 07 March 2024:
Guests and crew alike are facing a rather early morning but are still excited about what we might encounter out in the bay today! Welcoming our guests on our Whale watching vessel, we left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us and headed towards Uilenkraalsmond, the natural estuary of the area. On our way, we were lucky the second day in a row to have encountered a raft of African Penguins close to the harbour interfering with some Cape Cormorants! As usual, we were looking out for any marine life in the area and we were quite fortunate as we spotted one of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins! Making our way down the coastline we made a stop at the Shark cage diving vessels in an area called the Shallows. We got the opportunity to stop by Marine Dynamics vessel Slashfin where we got some great views of the active Bronze whaler sharks. The incredible species was not just investigating the divers in the cage but also started to circle our boat. After some great interactions, we decided to continue through De Clyde, the reef system, into deeper waters. While out in the deep, we came across several pelagic birds on the lookout for some fish, such as some beautiful Cape Gannets! Toward the end of the trip, we spend some time at the island system. Some of the Cape fur seals were already active in the cool waters of Shark Alley whereas the rest of the colony was still resting on Geyser Rock. Last but not least we stopped by Dyer Island, home to our endangered African Penguins and about 27 different species of seabirds.
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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.
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.
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.
Bank Cormorant Bank Cormorant
Often enjoying a broad diet including klipfish, rock lobster and more, the increasing rarety of the Bank Cormorant makes every moment we see them even more special.
Cape Gannet Cape Gannet
Well documented for their aireal displays, experiences with with the famous Cape Gannet are always breath taking, and hold a special place in every photographers portfolio.
