Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 23 August 2024
Written by August 23 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 23 August 2024:
Today was just perfect, from the weather to the sightings! We had several trips from Kleinbaai Harbour and all of them were filled with plenty of wildlife. Most tours started with a stop at the shark cage diving boats and then we continued towards Pearly Beach where we found whales all over the bay surrounded by these gentle giants. Their activity was great to watch and included some breaches and tail slaps of a brindle southern right whale. The Cape Fur seal colony was the next stop and just as amazing to see, as usual, most were on the island but quite a few were cooling down in the water. During the day we also saw the endangered African Penguin, some on the island and others at sea. And at the end of the day we got surprised by a humpback whale, what more can you ask for.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
