Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 08 March
Written by March 8 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 08 March 2025:
Another day with the marine Big 5. We first spotted penguins outside the harbour, followed by a Bryde’s whale. We got some great looks off them before we moved on to Dyer Island and Geyser Rock to see the Cape fur seals, and what a great sight seeing so many of them. We always love this time of the year with the pups being older and having a swim alongside the boat. After we crossed a kelp forest and reef, we approached the shark cage diving vessels and saw the Bronze whaler shark moving through the clear waters of the bay. We continued our journey shortly after and saw the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin. Just before returning to Kleinbaai, we saw more penguins, what a great morning and beautiful way to end our tour.
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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.
Brydes Whale Brydes Whale
The mysterious Bryde's whales visit the Dyer Island area throughout the year, with most sightings occurring during summer into winter.
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.
