Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 17 October
Written by October 17 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 17 October 2025:
We returned to the water after a landlocked day due to weather conditions. The first trip had an early departure from Kleinbaai Harbour, the start of a successful day of sightings. The marine life offered a warm welcome back to the bay, with a full Marine Big 5 sighted on all trips! Manoeuvring through the surf of the shallow coastline, the endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins were sighted, closely followed by the Southern Right whales, who offered an up close sighting as they calmly lulled at the surface. Continuing to identify more marine life, the next stop was at the shark cage diving vessels, where the Bronze whaler sharks could be seen in front of the cage holding the divers. Proceeding deeper into the bay, we made our way to Shark Alley, where the reliable Cape fur seal colony on Geyser Rock impressed us with their agility and playful nature. Ticking off the last marine sightings were the iconic, critically endangered African penguin, with its breeding colony on Dyer Island.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
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.
