Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 19 December
Written by December 19 2023

Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 19 December 2023:
With a bit of wind coming through the bay today we launched out of Kleinbaai Harbour towards more shallow areas. Close to Uilenkraalmond we encountered a pod of endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins. The pod did not disappoint. They stayed around the boat for quite some time and came even closer to investigate the vessel. We decided to let the dolphins be and moved further into The Shallows where we stopped by the Shark cage diving vessels to watch the Bronze Whaler sharks in the water and around the cage. After a cruise along a reef system, we spotted two penguins in the water and eventually reached Dyer Island where we spotted even more penguins on land. Before heading back we cruised through the famous Shark Alley and spotted thousands of Cape Fur seals.
Trip 1
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.