Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 14 January
Written by January 14 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 14 January 2026:
What a beautiful day we had out in the ocean today. A few minutes into the bay, we encountered a float of African penguins, with a pod of common dolphins being seen right after that. It was a glorious sight that had everyone in awe. In deeper waters, the iconic, shy and elusive Bryde’s whale was observed as it slowly approached our whale watching vessel, giving everyone a good look at it. It is that time of the year when we see many Cape fur seal pups on Geyser Rock, as some were sitting on the rocks with their tiny lamb-like sounds while the adults were up and about in the water. On Dyer Island, the endangered African penguins were seen busking in the sun, with the amazing Bronze Whaler sharks emerging out of the water in shark alley, finalising an amazing day out in the water.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
