Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 22 January
Written by January 22 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 22 January 2026:
Another day here at Marine Dynamics has come to an end. Throughout the day, we faced some west wind with some light swell. Due to the spring tide, our first trip of the day had to return to Gansbaai harbour, whereas our second trip launched from there. As a result, both trips got to pass the Danger Point peninsula, where the infamous HMS Birkenhead ran aground. In deeper waters a Bryde’s whale was seen on both our trips with one being more different than the other , nonetheless plenty of pelagic birds were flying around which was a beautiful sight. Mandatory stops included the island system and the Shallows. Geyser Rock, with its Cape fur seals colony, left our guests in awe, as usual, as numerous seal pups were vocally greeting them close to shore. The critically endangered African Penguins were found on Dyer Island, as we stopped by their usual hangout spot. Within the Shallows, a hotspot for Shark cage diving, Bronze whaler sharks were seen investigating divers in the cage, cutting through the surface with their copper-coloured dorsal fins.
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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.
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.
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.
