Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 21 January
Written by January 21 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 21 January 2024:
Another day out at sea for us and let’s find out what the bay has to offer today! Having two trips ahead of us we left Kleinbaai Harbour and headed straight further into the bay where we spotted some humpback dolphins. We continued our way over to the Shark cage diving vessels where we arrived at perfect timing when the Bronze Whaler sharks were already active around the cage checking out the divers. After spending some time with them we moved on and made our way through the Kelp forest, the local Reef system, and beyond into some deeper waters. Next up, is the Island system, where we paid the endangered African Penguins and the Cape fur seals a visit and we even spotted some Ginat Petrels. On Dyer Island, the penguins were high up on the boulders by the beach, whereas the seals were investigating our boat and guests from both Geyser Rock and the waters of Shark Alley.
Trip 1
Trip 2
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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.
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.
Giant Petrel Giant Petrel
Around the Greater Dyer Island area we encounter both species of Giant Petrel, the Southern Giant Petrel and Northern Giant Petrel.
