Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 09 February
Written by February 10 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 09 February 2023:
A beautiful day out on the sea with some choppier conditions in the deeper waters surrounding the bay. We started our trip along the coastal waters keeping an eye out for any marine wildlife and whilst there was a large flock of Cape Cormorants and Kelp gulls in the middle of the bay it was very quiet, even at the shark cage diving vessels so we headed out into the deeper waters hoping for more luck. The deeper waters also appeared quiet, with a few sea birds here and there but making their way elsewhere we then headed back towards the islands. We were able to spot some Endangered African penguins on Dyer Island nestled amongst some Cape Cormorants as they soaked up the sun and heat from the rocks. We had a close look at the Cape fur seals of Geyser Rock as they too were enjoying the sunshine. Heading back to land we were lucky to encounter three Endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins just outside the harbour. We spent some time watching these dolphins as they darted about just on the outside of the kelp forest before we made our way through the channel and back onto land.
Trip 1
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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.
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.
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.
