Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 09 December
Written by December 9 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 09 December 2025:
We started the morning with a bit of overcast but great conditions. Shortly after welcoming our guests aboard Dream Catcher, some drizzle started to come in before the rain got slightly heavier. Nonetheless, it did not hurt the slightest as our sightings made up for it! Heading down the coast, first we spotted some of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins. The usually elusive species decided to come closer to the boat, which left even the crew stunned. A short ride later, we ended up with our Shark Cage diving vessel, Slashfin, where Bronze whaler sharks did not take long to appear. Moving on, we passed De Clyde, the local reef system, before we stumbled across a pod of Common dolphins! Bow-riding, breaching, you name it! In deeper waters, we spotted two Bryde’s whales feeding. Once we let the whales be, we headed towards the Island system. Geyser Rock was, as usual, occupied by its Cape fur seal colony. The critically endangered African Penguins were either seen on Dyer Island, cosied up or even in the water a little earlier on in the trip. A great number of Giant Petrels gathered between the two islands, which rounded the trip up perfectly!
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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.
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 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.
Giant Petrel Giant Petrel
Around the Greater Dyer Island area we encounter both species of Giant Petrel, the Southern Giant Petrel and Northern Giant Petrel.
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.
Common Dolphin Common Dolphin
With an 'hourgalss' patch on either side and aerial activity the common dolphin is an agile and majestic species, that may easily reach a speed of 40km/h.
