Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 15 May
Written by May 15 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 15 May 2023:
What a trip we had onboard Dreamcatcher today! We launched not too early and headed straight behind the island in the hopes of getting some wildlife sightings. We were so lucky to encounter multiple rafts of African penguins probably busy looking for fish. We didn’t struggle to spot them as we were literally surrounded by them. After a few moments spent with the birds, we traveled a bit farther out to try and spot some large marine mammals, but, unfortunately, the ocean was quiet today. We visited Shark Alley and enjoyed the company of thousands of Cape Fur seals on land and in the water around our vessel. After a pleasant drive to the Shallows we were incredibly lucky to spot a Great White shark along with a few Bronze Whaler sharks next to our sister company’s vessel Slashfin. On the way back to the harbour we spotted a group of Humpback dolphins with a little calf traveling with them.
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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.
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.
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.