Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 22 July
Written by July 22 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 22 July 2024:
What a day with exciting sightings! We welcomed all our trips aboard Drem Catcher today but had to launch out of Gansbaai Harbour due to low tide. We headed into deeper waters for all trips where we encountered pelagic birds, Bryde’s whales, a Humpback whale and a Southern Right whale on the first trip. Trips two and three weren’t less lucky as we encountered several Southern Right whales in Pearly Beach. Throughout the whole day, we came across a pod of Bottlenose dolphins spending their day in shallow coastal waters. The last trip of the day was super lucky to have encountered a Broadnose sevengill shark while stopping by Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin. As usual, we made a stop at the island system. As the sun was out today both the Cape fur seals and the endangered African Penguins were sunbathing on Geyser Rock and Dyer Island. Once again, thanks to everyone for joining our Marine Big 5 trips!
Trip 1
Trip 2
Trip 3
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What species did we see today?
Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose Dolphin
At present there are two recognized species of bottlenose dolphin, and in some cases, both species can be found in the same area. The two species are the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus). In addition, there is a great deal of variation in colouration, diet and behaviour. The difference between the common bottlenose and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin are subtle, but the common bottlenose dolphin generally larger and more robust with a slight darker colouration.
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.
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.
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.
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.
