Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 21 May
Written by May 21 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 21 May 2026:
With the weather being on and off at the moment, we are excited for any opportunity we get. After another two days on land, we are welcoming our guests back aboard. Save to say, we wasted no time and started our day nice and early. Our boat Whale Whisperer was ready to head out to sea and so were we. We left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us and started our lookout for some marine wildlife. On both trips we made sure we stopped by our Shark cage diving vessel, Slashfin, anchored within the Shallows. Both times we managed to catch some views of our regulars, the Bronze whaler shark. A stop around the island system could of course also not be missed. Consisting of Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, we passed by the islands for both our colony of the critically endangered African Penguins and Cape fur seals. On the first trip, we encountered two of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins whereas on the second trip of the day, we spotted a Humpback whale, which made a quick appearance.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
