Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 19 August
Written by August 19 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 19 August 2026:
We got a full day of sightings behind us here at Marine Dynamics. Throughout the day, we spotted either the elusive Bryde’s whale in deeper waters or our beloved Humpback whales. On one of the trips, Bottlenose dolphins decided to once again join some of our whales in deeper waters, playfully surrounding the individuals. The critically endangered African Penguins were either spotted in open waters or roaming Dyer Island. Geyser Rock was busy, as usual, with thousands of Cape fur seals. A stop by the Shark cage diving boats gave us either some looks at the Bronze whaler sharks or Short-tailed stingrays! Another highlight for a few was the sunfish that was seen just of Danger Point.
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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.
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.
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.
Sunfish
