Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 12 January
Written by January 12 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 12 January 2026:
Another eventful day spent here at Marine Dynamics! Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us, we made our way past numerous Cape Cormorants towards the natural estuary of the area. Shortly after, we spotted the first batch of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins. Our second encounter happened after we stopped by our Shark cage diving vessel, Slashfin, where a few Bronze whaler sharks were investigating not just the divers in the cage, but also our vessel! In deeper waters, we spotted a Bryde’s whale, which allowed us a few nice looks between long dives. While making our way to the island system, we came across a Bryde’s whale pair, which offered some incredible looks! Entering Shark Alley, Cape fur seals were actively jumping around the boat and, as always, leaving our guests in awe. A short stop by Dyer Island, we wrapped up the Marine Big 5 by visiting our critically endangered African Penguins.
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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.
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.
