Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 20 January
Written by January 20 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 20 January 2026:
We had a great adventure at sea. The sun was shining, but the wind was picking up throughout the tour, creating some choppy conditions a bit further out, where we found some Bryde’s whales. But before we got there, we had some great views of Bronze Whaler sharks and even one of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins close to De Clyde. At the end of our tour, we visited the Cape fur seal colony and released some penguins close to Dyer Island that were at the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary for rehabilitation.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
