Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 23 June
Written by June 23 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 23 June 2024:
Today due to some tide we started rather late, but once it was time we were as excited as always and ready to see what nature provides for us today. Welcoming our guests aboard, we made our way out of Kleinbaai Harbour and headed further into the bay. Heading towards the natural estuary we started our lookout for any marine mammals maybe even taking advantage of some fresh fish running into the bay. Shortly after we spotted two southern right whales before we quickly made our way into the Shallows to stop by Slashfin, Marine Dynamics’ Shark cage diving vessel. We got some nice views of the well-camouflaged Bronze Whaler sharks. As they were not just investigating divers in the cage but also our boat our guests got some nice close-ups too! As the island system, consisting of two islands a few kilometres off the mainland is a must on our tours we stopped by Geyser Rock and Dyer Island. The Cape fur seals were either enjoying the warm sunrays or cooling down in Shark Alley. Around Dyer Island, we got some sightings of the endangered African Penguins sitting on the boulders close to the beach. On top of that, we encountered some closer inside the bay on the water. Out in the deep, we were lucky to see a humpback whale, what a day!
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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.
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 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.
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.
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.
