Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 20 February
Written by February 20 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 20 February 2026:
Another day well spent out in the water today. We had two trips heading out today. After boarding our whale watching vessel, we waved goodbye to Kleinbaai Harbour as we made our way into the bay for a Marine Big 5 adventure. While cruising along the coastline, both our trips were lucky enough to encounter some Indian Ocean humpback dolphins swimming gracefully in the water. A short cruise was then made to the Shallows, where our favourite Bronze Whaler sharks showed their unique fins to us. In deeper waters, a Bryde’s whale was spotted, and although it lived up to its shy and elusive nature, we were lucky enough to see it surface a few times . A visit was made to our local islands to see the endangered African penguins and Cape fur seals. On our way back to Kleinbaai Harbour, one of our trips had a surprise sighting of another Bryde’s whale and a big raft of African penguins, which ended the day on a magical 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.
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.
