Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 08 May
Written by May 8 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 08 May 2026:
Another day here at Marine Dynamics has come to an end. Welcoming our guests aboard Dream Catcher, we left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us and headed down the coast. Shortly after passing the natural estuary of our area, we spotted some of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, which, to our luck, were quite active today! After we spent some time with them, we continued toward the Shark cage diving boats, where our vessel, Slashfin, was already anchored, circled by Bronze whaler sharks. Our next stop led us to the island system, where the critically endangered African Penguins were seen on Dyer Island and the Cape fur seals sunbathing on Geyser Rock. Out in the open, we encountered a Humpback whale showing off by even breaching! Within deeper waters we also encountered some pelagic birds, such as a Shy Albatross but also a few sunfish emerged from the depth!
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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.
Humpback Whale Humpback Whale
One of the best-known whale species, they are renowned for their acrobatic behaviour and complex melodious song as well as extremely long flippers and are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
Sunfish
