Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 18 August
Written by August 18 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 18 August 2026:
Another day has come to an end. For some, even with the Marine Big 5! Throughout the day, we spotted some Humpback whales in deeper waters, constantly accompanied by pelagic seabirds such as White-chinned Petrels, Sooty Shearwaters, and even Albatrosses. In the morning, we were lucky to spot a pod of Common dolphins! In the afternoon, it has been Bottlenose dolphins instead. The island system, especially Geyser Rock, has been busy as always with thousands of Cape fur seals enjoying the sun on the island or cooling down in the waters of Shark Alley. The critically endangered African Penguins were seen roaming Dyer Island. Of course, a stop by the Shark cage diving boat Slashfin could not be missed. After just a minute of waiting, bronze whaler sharks were seen underneath the surface.
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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.
Humpback Whale Humpback Whale
One of the best-known whale species, they are renowned for their acrobatic behaviour and complex melodious song as well as extremely long flippers and are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
Common Dolphin Common Dolphin
With an 'hourgalss' patch on either side and aerial activity the common dolphin is an agile and majestic species, that may easily reach a speed of 40km/h.
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.
