Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 10 January
Written by January 10 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 10 January 2024:
Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour we headed straight towards Uilenkraal and were lucky to see some of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins along the way. After spending some time watching the dolphins surfacing alongside the boat we continued cruising along the coastal areas we made it to the Shark cage diving vessels, where we as usual visited Slashfin to get a glimpse of our beloved Bronze whaler sharks of the area. After spending some time with them we passed the Reef system, the Kelpf forest. We continued over to the Island system. African Penguins gathered on the boulders close to the water, which allowed us to watch them from a distance. Over at Geyser Rock, the Cape fur seals were relaxing on the island and while we were cruising through Shark Alley numerous seals were around the boat, cooling down and playing in the channel. Once again, on the way back to Kleinbaai Harbour we went into deeper waters.
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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.
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.
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 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.
