Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 21 October
Written by October 21 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 21 October 2025:
A successful day on the water with fantastic marine wildlife. Due to low tides, the first trips of the day launched from Gansbaai Harbour, whilst the rest departed from our local Kleinbaai Harbour. Navigating around the iconic Danger Point, the first wildlife of the day was sighted, the Southern Right whales. All trips were able to witness these gentle giants, including sightings of a brindle calf and behaviours such as breaching, flipper slapping and spy hopping. One trip was lucky to sight a more local species, the Bryde’s whale. Within shallow waters, Bronze whaler sharks were observed at shark cage diving vessels, and some trips also witnessed the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins in the coastal surf. At the Dyer Island ecosystem, the nesting colony of critically endangered African penguins were present on Dyer Island itself. Around the corner, in the waters of Shark Alley, the Cape fur seal colony of Geyser Rock offered charismatic interactions with their curious and playful nature.
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What species did we see today?
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
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.
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.
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.
