Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 10 January
Written by January 10 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 10 January 2025:
What a beautiful day out at sea it was! With our guests, we got to welcome a few of the endangered African Penguins today, to release them back to their colony! First off we headed toward the natural estuary of our bay where shortly after a small pod of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins popped up close to shore. Enjoying the higher swell close to the beach we watched them from a distance. After spending some time with them we decided to let them be and make our way into the Shallows. A couple of Shark cage diving boats were anchored within this area. We stopped by the Marine Dynamics vessel where both Bronze whaler sharks and a very curious Short-tailed Stingray were investigating the boat! Watching them peacefully cruising around the boat we continued our trip through the kelp forest towards the island system. Targeting Dyer Island we got ready for the release of our beloved African Penguins. Shortly after the penguins had made it into the water we watched them taking off and ready to reunite with their colony. Cape fur seals were taking a swim in the cool waters of Shark Alley whereas others were drying off and sunbathing on Geyser Rock. The last stop of our tour led us into deeper waters where shortly after leaving Gesyer Rock behind a Bryde’s whale was spotted in the distance. The gentle giant was swimming alongside the vessel in a relaxed manner which granted both guests and crew some incredible looks.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
