Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 22 July
Written by July 22 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 22 July 2025:
Our bay was a windswept from the east, with sunny conditions and a blue sky. We slowly cruised through the coastal waters, and some trips have been fortunate to spot the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins. At the shark cage diving boats, it was rather quiet, and we moved on to deeper waters. Out there, we were fortunate to spot some humpback dolphins before making a turn by the Cape fur seal colony and Dyer Island. On one of our trips, we even got to see two soft-plumaged petrels, a once-in-a-lifetime sighting for birders! Additionally, a sunfish made an appearance prior.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
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.
