Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 12 February
Written by February 12 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 12 February 2025:
What an exciting day we had out at sea today! Great conditions were a plus. We welcomed todays guests aboard Dream Catcher and headed straight into our bay. Half way in, we spotted a Bryde’s whale, which seemed like feeding. The individual came up several times close to the boat which left both guests and crew in awe and granted some amazing views. Once we decided to let the whale be we headed over to the island system where the critically endangered African Penguins, thousands of Cape Cormorants on Dyer Island and numerous Cape fur seals on Geyser Rock were patiently waiting for us. Due to the encounter with the Bryde’s whale in shallow waters we did not have to head into deeper waters, instead we went back into the area where local Shark cage diving boats where already anchored. Stopping by Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin, we had to ask for a bit of patience before a Short-tailed Stingray and a Bronze whaler shark made an appearance. Before heading back to Kleinbaai Harbour we headed down the coastline. Shortly after we spotted a pod of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins playing and feeding within the surf-zone and wrapped up the Marine Big 5!
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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 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.
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.
