Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 18 May
Written by May 18 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 18 May 2024:
The swell has calmed down and we headed into a day with perfect conditions. And to say the least, it was a successful day! Welcoming all our guests aboard Dream Catcher today we left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us and headed towards the natural estuary. On the first trip, we were lucky to have encountered a pod of the endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins! Around the Marine Dynamics Shark Cage diving vessel, we got a glimpse of some highly active Bronze whaler sharks. After spending some time with them we decided to move on and headed towards the island system. First, we stopped by Dyer Island to take a look at the endangered African Penguins and headed over to Geyser Rock, where we were met by thousands of Cape fur seals. Once it was time to say goodbye to the fur seals we made our way into deeper waters where we on the first trip spotted a Bryde’s whale and a few rafts of Penguins. On the second trip, we encountered not one but two Bryde’s whales and a Humpback whale! Once again, thanks everyone for joining us today.
Trip 1
Trip 2
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.