Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 15 February
Written by February 15 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 15 February 2025:
We had great weather but a slight swell coming through the bay. Out of Kleinbaai harbour we started the tour at Danger Point and quickly found some penguins and spotted the spouts of Bryde’s whales. After having some closer looks at the whales we saw some splashes moving towards us and were lucky to have some common dolphins approaching the vessel. On our way to Dyer Island we saw another whale surfacing a couple of times as well as a lot of smaller schooling fish. Closer to the island we spotted a few more penguins and plenty of Cape Cormorants. Geyser Rock, the Cape fur seal colony was rather empty with most at sea, but we still saw thousands of them. The shark cage diving boat was busy with several sharks passing the cage, so we saw the Bronze Whaler sharks very nicely. On our way to Kleinbaai we were fortunate to see some more dolphins, this time two Indian Ocean humpback dolphins moving in the shallow waters off the coast. What a great day at sea we couldn’t ask for any better!
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
