Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 09 September
Written by September 9 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 09 September 2023:
A bright and early start for our first trip today with the boat launching just after sunrise. This early Saturday did not deter the wildlife and we experienced some fantastic encounters throughout the morning, including multiple Southern Right whales, many of which were just on the Southern outer edge of our bay, and included a cow/calf pair of which the calf was a brindle – nearly all white with just a splattering of black speckles. We observed a number of seabirds throughout the day, with an increased chance today to see some of the pelagic species as we did have a mid-range west wind coming through. These sightings included many Albatrosses, one getting close enough that we could see it was a Shy albatross and a Giant petrel sitting on the water’s surface enjoying some breakfast. Each of our trips enjoyed a visit to the Cape fur seal colony on Geyser Rock along with either a visit to Dyer Island to spot the African penguins or were lucky enough to encounter the penguins out on the sea. The trips also all swung by our sister company Marine Dynamics, to have a look at the Bronze Whaler sharks.
A wonderful Saturday on the sea! We hope all our guests enjoyed their day out on the bay with the Dyer Island Cruises Team.
Trip 1.
Trip 2.
Trip 3.
Trip 4.
Tripadvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
What species did we see today?
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
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.
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.
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.
