Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 21 July
Written by July 21 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 21 July 2024:
We had a great day at sea filled with some fantastic sightings throughout the day. This morning we were heading around Danger Point and started the tour by watching some whales. On the second and third tour we saw some whales too and couldn’t have asked for better views of these majestic ocean travelers. During all three tours we visited Shark Alley to see the cape fur seals and approached Dyer Island in the hopes of getting a look at the endangered African penguin. We also visited the shark cage diving oats but only managed to see some Bronze Whales sharks on the first tour. The second tour of the day has also managed to get a glimpse of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins along the coast.
Trip 1
Trip 2
Trip 3
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
Humpback Whale Humpback Whale
One of the best-known whale species, they are renowned for their acrobatic behaviour and complex melodious song as well as extremely long flippers and are a special favourite of Dyer Island Cruises guests and crew alike.
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.