Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 09 February
Written by February 9 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 09 February 2024:
Today we had some wind from the west and a slight swell rolling into the bay but this didn’t affect the great sightings we had. First, we spotted a couple of Bronze Whaler sharks close by the shark cage diving boat in the shallows. Next up was a stop at a kelp forest where we had a closer look at some loose kelp that we picked up. Just shortly after we passed the reef we spotted a spout in the distance which turned out to be a great sighting of a Bryde’s whale. The whale was very relaxed alongside our vessel and surfaced multiple times so we could get some great looks. After our close pass at the Cape Fur seal colony we continued to Dyer Island to see some penguins before returning to Kleinbaai harbour.
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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.
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.
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.
