Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 11 July
Written by July 11 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 11 July 2023:
A chilly but beautiful day out at sea. We started our morning off with a small pod of Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins, and whilst these can be a relatively shy species we had some fantastic views as we made our way along the shallow, coastal waters. We spent some time in the shark cage diving area of the bay and were able to catch a few glimpses of a Bronze whaler shark. On the edges of the bay, we visited the Islands with a number of African penguins seen on Dyer Island and the ever-abundant and delightful Cape fur seas of Geyser Rock. In the deeper waters of the bay, we spotted quite a few whale blows, our first sighting being that of a lone Humpback whale that spent much of its time surfacing before taking long dives before we came across a Bryde’s whale that stayed close to the surface as it glided through the water captivating us all on board. We were also lucky today with a number of seabird sightings including but not limited to a Sub-Antarctica skua, a Giant petrel in the distance, two adult African penguins feeding on a bait ball, and an Albatross that glided past the boat.
The second trip of the day encountered some interesting visitors during their visit to the shark cage diving vessels with a Short-tail stingray and Broadnose sevengill shark being seen. The trip also enjoyed taking a closer look at the African penguins on Dyer Island and spent some time with the Cape fur seals of Geyser Rock with a large number of them seen enjoying the waters of the Alley. In the deeper waters just outside the bay, a very relaxed Humpback whale was encountered, slowly surfacing and moving alongside the boat.
Trip 1
Trip 2
Trip 3
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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.
Humpback Whale Humpback Whale
One of the best-known whale species, they are renowned for their acrobatic behaviour and complex melodious song as well as extremely long flippers and are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
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.
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.
