Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 16 January
Written by January 16 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 16 January 2025:
After two days of being unable to head out to sea, we are finally back! We welcomed our guests aboard Dream Catcher and headed towards the natural estuary. Shortly after, we continued our way towards the Shark cage diving boats anchored within the Shallows. Stopping by Marine Dynamics vessel Slashfin we encountered a few of the incredible Bronze whaler sharks which appeared almost instantly! Passing through the reef system we were able to pick up some floating kelp which allowed us to bring the ecosystem closer to our guests. Stopping by Dyer Island the endangered African Penguins were spotted in a bit of a distance sunbathing on the beach. Geyser Rock was once again overwhelming with its sheer number of fur seals and pups. Our journey into deeper waters was unfortunately quiet today. To our surprise, we encountered a pair of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins too!
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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.
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.
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.
