Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 07 May
Written by May 7 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 07 May 2026:
After some winter weather, we were able to head out to sea again. Not long after we left Kleinbaai harbour behind us, we spotted two of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins at the usual spot around Uilenkraalsmond. After watching the dolphins, we made a stop to see the Bronze Whaler sharks by Slashfin, our cage diving boat.
On our way to Dyer Island, we saw penguins at sea and spotted more on the island itself. Close by, we visited the Cape fur seal colony and got to see thousands of them. Unfortunately, the deeper water was quiet and our search for a whale was unsuccessful, but we managed to see a sunfish and some pelagic seabirds, including a close pass of a Shy Albatross.
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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.
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.
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.
Sunfish
