Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 16 December
Written by December 16 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 16 December 2023:
What a great day we had, in the morning we still had some wind but it did quiet down quickly throughout the morning. On both tours of the day we were able to spot the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin close to Uilenkraalsmond in the coastal waters and not too far off we stopped by the shark cage diving boats. There we stopped for a few moments and got to see a couple of Bronze Whaler sharks passing by the cage and cruising towards our vessel too. At Dyer Island, we stopped to see the penguins but also managed to see groups swimming at sea on the two trips we had. After a stop at the Cape fur seal colony, we ventured into deeper waters but only managed to spot some whales on the second tour of the day.
Trip 1
Trip 2
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Humpback Whale Humpback Whale
One of the best-known whale species, they are renowned for their acrobatic behaviour and complex melodious song as well as extremely long flippers and are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
