Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 23 October
Written by October 23 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 23 October 2023:
We had a beautiful sunny day here in Kleinbaai, but the wind picked up throughout the day and created choppy conditions throughout the bay. However, once again we were lucky to see the Southern Right whales close to the coast just past Uilenkraalsmond, several were slowly and relaxed swimming along the coast and alongside our vessel. On the first tour of the day, we even managed to spot one of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins close to the whales. On the second tour was lucky to see a humpback whale in the coastal areas. Throughout some of our tours, we managed to pass the shark cage diving boats and got to see the Bronze Whaler sharks up close. After a cruise through the famous Shark Alley to see the Cape fur seals we stopped at Dyer Island for the penguins. On one of our tours, we were honored enough to release one of our African Penguins from the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary back into the wild before we started our journey back to Kleinbaai Harbor.
Trip 1.
Trip 2.
Trip 3.
Trip 4.
Tripadvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
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 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.
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.
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.
