Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 22 March
Written by March 22 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 22 March 2025:
We headed out to sea with the first signs of thicker fog. Due to cold water but still warmer temperatures, our visibility was relatively impaired in deeper waters. Once we arrived at the island system lucky us both islands were clear and we were able to view both Cape fur seals on Geyser Rock as well as the critically endangered African Penguins on Dyer Island perfectly. Making our way into our bay we arrived in an area called the Shallows, the local Shark cage diving hotspot. Stopping by Marine Dynamics vessel Slashfin we got several amazing looks at the very active Bronze whaler sharks cutting the surface with their copper-coloured dorsal fins. On our home stretch back to Kleinbaai Harbour we spotted some of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins being extremely active today surfing the swell and approaching our vessel. A last highlight was two Subantarctic Skuas following our boat and entertaining our guests.
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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.
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.
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.
