Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 15 December
Written by December 15 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 15 December 2025:
We had another beautiful, calm morning with hardly any breeze. Our journey started along the coastline past Uilenkraalsmond… Within a few minutes of cruising along the coast, a raft of African penguins was seen as they slowly swam along the coast, with Humpback dolphins making a surprise appearance, giving everyone a good glimpse of the shy endangered species. Before heading further out into the bay, we stopped at the shark cage diving boats and were in awe of the beautiful Bronze Whaler sharks passing by the cage and in between the boats. Past a reef and massive kelp forest, we continued our journey through some deeper waters to see what was passing by this area. Out there…. We encountered the shy and elusive Bryde’s Whale, and a flock of giant petrels was seen out in the distance, which was a wonderful sight to see. Right after we arrived at the Cape fur seal colony, we had a wonderful time watching these playful marine mammals. Some were soaking up the sun on Geyser Rock, while others were cooling off in the famous waters of Shark Alley. On our way to Kleinbaai, we made another stop at Dyer Island to see the critically endangered African Penguin.
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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.
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.
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.
Giant Petrel Giant Petrel
Around the Greater Dyer Island area we encounter both species of Giant Petrel, the Southern Giant Petrel and Northern Giant Petrel.
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.
