Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 19 February
Written by February 19 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 19 February 2026:
Launching from Gansbaai harbour today due to low tide in our bay, our journey began in deeper waters where we were lucky enough to spot a Bryde’s whale just a distance from Danger Point, where the infamous Birkenhead troopship sank. Making our way towards Dyer Island, we were greeted by a small raft of African Penguins drifting on the water, which was quite an amusing sight. The ever so playful cape fur seals were leaping out of the water in Shark Alley, with the endangered African Penguins being seen hidden in between some Cape Cormorants. As we followed the coastline towards the Shallows, a bottlenose dolphin emerged gracefully, swimming near the kelp forest. Our local Bronze Whaler sharks were observed near a shark diving vessel, ending the day on a fin-tastic note.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
