Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 17 January
Written by January 17 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 17 January 2023:
Today was our first day back out in the bay after two days off due to some not so favourable conditions coming through the area. We were greeted by a few thousand Cape Cormorants as we made our way out into the bay before heading towards the shark cage diving area and vessels. Whilst shark sightings had been a little on the slow side this morning we were lucky to see some Bronze whaler sharks at one of the boats before we headed out of the bay and into deeper waters. Just behind the islands, we struck luck again with a Bryde’s whale encountered, and while the conditions were a little up and down in that area we had some stunning views of the animal as it came to the surface again and again. To finish off our trip we paid a visit to Dyer Island to look at the seabirds including the Endangered African penguins along with Geyser Rock and its Cape fur seal inhabitants.
Trip 1
Tripadvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
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 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.
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.
