Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 17 September
Written by September 17 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 17 September 2026:
We had another fantastic day on the water. Within the bay and not long after leaving Kleinbaai harbour, we already found some southern right whales. The great sightings of whales have made up for a rather slow start at the shark cage diving boats; they were only spotted later in the day. We made a stop at Dyer Island where we got to see some distant penguins, and a few were lucky to see one at sea. Another highlight was certainly the thousands of Cape fur seals, but our visit at Geyer Rock was extra special as the elephant seal we spotted yesterday was still around.
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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.
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.
