Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 22 December
Written by December 22 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 22 December 2024:
We prepared to head to sea with some southeasterly wind. We made our way towards the coastal areas passing the area’s natural estuary. Close by hundreds of Cape Cormorants, the most abundant seabird species on Dyer Island, were taking a break by sitting on the surface before taking off to look for some fish in the surrounding area. Shortly after we got to take some close-up looks at this coastal bird species we made our way towards the Shark cage diving boats. Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slahsfin was already anchored within the Shallows. We were not disappointed as the Bronze whaler sharks were curious and almost instantly appeared in front of our eyes. The Bronze whaler shark, also named Copper shark, is considered a schooling species, making it an absolute highlight as almost every time more than just one is being seen. Heading towards the reef system we spotted two of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins clearly enjoying the higher swell closer to shore. Another stop on the itinerary is the island system. Consisting of Geyser Rock and Dyer Island we stopped by the Cape fur seal colony and the African Penguin colony which shares their space with a bunch of other seabird species. The end of the year is getting closer and closer which makes the big bulls get ready to leave the colony behind until their return in October. Due to higher swells hitting the island, we were unfortunately not able to head too close to the island. Nonetheless, our guests did not come short of finding out everything about the history of both the island and the endangered African Penguin. Towards the end of the trip, we were super lucky though to have spotted a raft of penguins in the water!
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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.
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.
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.
