Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 16 January
Written by January 16 2024

Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 16 January 2024:
After some rain in the morning, it cleared up just in time and we were ready to head out. Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us, as usual, we made our way into the bay and started our lookout for any marine animals in the area. Shortly after we spotted several Bottlenose dolphins spread throughout the bay, being extraordinarily active, even circling the boat! In the Shallows, our beloved Bronze whaler sharks were around the Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin, leaving our guests and divers in the cage in awe. At the Island system, the endangered African Penguin dried off in the sun after this morning’s rain and the Cape fur seals were of course already back in the waters of Shark Alley, whereas the Cape fur seal pubs were active and playing on Geyser Rock. Once again, the trip also led us into deeper waters to see what we might encounter out there. Unfortunately, the open ocean was quiet.
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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.
Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose Dolphin
At present there are two recognized species of bottlenose dolphin, and in some cases, both species can be found in the same area. The two species are the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus). In addition, there is a great deal of variation in colouration, diet and behaviour. The difference between the common bottlenose and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin are subtle, but the common bottlenose dolphin generally larger and more robust with a slight darker colouration.