Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 12 March
Written by March 12 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 12 March 2024:
Guests and Crew alike got an early start today! Excited about what we might encounter out at sea, we welcomed our guests on our Whale watching vessel Whale Whisperer. We headed out of Kleinbaai Harbour towards the natural estuary. Starting our lookout for any wildlife from there, we kept our eyes on the surface of the water. Shortly after we encountered an Indian Ocean humpback dolphin! Cruising down the coastal areas alongside the dolphin we eventually ended up in the Shallows. Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slahsfin was already operating and enabled us to get a glimpse of the amazing Bronze whaler sharks not just around the cage but also around our vessel! After spending some time with them we headed through the reef system towards deeper waters. Out in the deep, we were super lucky to have spotted a Sunfish! After several sightings of pelagic birds, we made our way over to the island system. On Dyer Island, the endangered African Penguins were waking up enjoying the first sunrays of the day. Some of the Cape fur seals were still sleeping on Geyser Rock whereas others were already active, playing around and cooling down in Shark Alley. Once it was time to say goodbye to the Cape fur seal colony we headed towards Danger Point Lighthouse. Due to the tide, we were not able to head back into Kleinbaai Harbour. Instead, we headed around Danger Point towards Gansbaai Harbour.
Tripadvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
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.
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 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 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.
Sunfish
