Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 12 September
Written by September 12 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 12 September 2023:
Once again we are so happy to venture on our marine adventures! After a few days stuck on land due to a storm coming through, we finally got out to sea. Luckily for us, the whales were eager to join us and show themselves. After a visit to Dyer Island to see the endangered African Penguin and a cruise through the famous Shark Alley we spotted the whales close by. The mother and her calf were very relaxed alongside the boat and just slowly swimming along the kelp patches off Dyer Island. On our way back we passed through the shallows and saw a few active bronze whaler sharks. The second trip of the day followed on in a similar fashion to the first, we made our first stop by the Islands enjoying views of the African penguins and Cape fur seals befoe turning our attention to finding some whales. Not far from the island we came across not one but two mother and calf pairs, relaxed and calm they slowly moved along together giving us a fantastic chance to observe them. To finish off this trip we made our way through the shallow, coastal waters of the bay, stopping for a glimpse of some Bronze whaler sharks around our sister company’s vessel. We started the first trip with some lovely Bronze Whalers by Slashfin and headed straight to the island to see some seals and penguins. As we were moving towards Pearly Beach we came across a mother-calf pair of Southern Right whales, who absolutely made our trip!
Trip 1:
Trip 2:
Trip 3:
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What species did we see today?
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.
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
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.
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.
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.
Bank Cormorant Bank Cormorant
Often enjoying a broad diet including klipfish, rock lobster and more, the increasing rarety of the Bank Cormorant makes every moment we see them even more special.
