Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 12 February
Written by February 12 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 12 February 2024:
We are back out at sea, and guests and crew alike are excited for today! Due to the tide, we launched the first trip from Kleinbaai Harbour as normal, whereas the second trip left from Gansbaai Harbour. Nevertheless, we made sure to head to the most popular hangout spots of our marine animals. On both trips, we got some amazing views of the incredible Bronze whaler sharks of the area, at our sister company’s Marine Dynamics vessel Slashfin. The sharks were quite active surrounding the boat and investigating the divers in the cage. Cape fur seals and the endangered African Penguins were seen on Geyser Rock and Dyer Island. Of course, the Cape fur seals would never miss a chance to put on a show in the waters of Shark Alley whereas the African Penguins were sitting on top of the boulders by the beach enjoying the sunny and calm day. Even lucky enough, on the second trip we spotted some rafts of penguins in the water! Due to amazing weather conditions, we were able to head into deeper waters on both of our trips, where we got to encounter Bryde’s whales. Last but not least both our trips got to see dolphins which completed the Marine Big 5! On the first trip, our guests got to see the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins whereas on our second trip encountered a pod of Common dolphins.
Trip 1
Trip 2
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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.
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.
Common Dolphin Common Dolphin
With an 'hourgalss' patch on either side and aerial activity the common dolphin is an agile and majestic species, that may easily reach a speed of 40km/h.
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.
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.
