Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 17 October
Written by October 17 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 17 October 2026:
It was a lovely day out at sea, with plenty of exciting sightings across our trips. Multiple pairs of southern right whales were spotted around Pearly Beach, giving us some wonderful moments to observe these gentle giants. Some of our trips were also lucky enough to encounter humpback dolphins in the bay, while bronze whaler sharks were seen cruising through the shallows. African penguins were spotted on Dyer Island, alongside the Cape fur seals resting on Geyser Rock. Our special visitor, the elephant seal, is still hanging around, continuing to be a lovely surprise for everyone visiting the island.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
