Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 11 May
Written by May 11 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 11 May 2024:
The wind has calmed down, the rain has stopped and we are ready and excited to head out to sea! Both trips left from Kleinbaai Harbour. As we left we started looking for any Marine life in the area. We made our way into deeper waters towards the island system. On Geyser Rock we encountered thousands of Cape fur seals relaxing on the island. Of course, several were swimming alongside the boat. On both trips, we were super lucky that we got to encounter large rafts of the endangered African Penguins! Nevertheless, we stopped by Dyer Island where we viewed some of the Penguins walking around on the island. On the second trip, we even had to pick up one of them to get into rehabilitation at our African Penguins and Seabird Sanctuary. We made our way through the reef system into the Shallows where we stopped by the Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin were the first trip got a glimpse of the amazing Bronze whaler shark whereas, on the second trip, we got to see one of the incredible Great White sharks! Heading back to Kleinbaai Harbour, we spotted a pod of the endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins. Once again, thanks everyone for joining our Marine Big 5 trips.
Trip 1
Trip 2
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
Great white sharks Great white sharks
Gracious, beautiful, misunderstood - three words used by guests of Dyer Island Cruises after witnessing South Africa's most infamous marine species: The Great White Shark.
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 Gannet Cape Gannet
Well documented for their aireal displays, experiences with with the famous Cape Gannet are always breath taking, and hold a special place in every photographers portfolio.
