Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 24 April
Written by April 24 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 24 April 2026:
After we still had a bit of wind and swell yesterday, we were quite lucky to have faced little swell and hardly any wind. Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us, we almost instantly encountered our first dolphin species of the day, the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins. After spending a few minutes with this elusive species, we moved on to a less shy species, the Common dolphin! Numerous individuals were bow-riding while others playfully breached out of the water. Moving on, we continued towards our Shark cage diving vessel, Slashfin, anchored within the Shallows. Great visibility allowed us to not just view the incredible Bronze whaler shark underneath the surface, but also a bunch of Mullets, a schooling fish species. Next up, the island system, a short stop by Dyer Island, allowed a bit more insight into the island’s history. Fortunately, we spotted some of the critically endangered African Penguins before our stop in open waters. Entering Shark Alley, the Cape fur seals on Geyser Rock were, as always, cooling down in the channel or harmonising and sunbathing on the island itself. Lastly, we made our way through deeper waters. One of our resident whales, the Bryde’s whale, has made an appearance, but unfortunately did not feel too social today, which made us decide to let the individual be and head back to Kleinbaai Harbour. Nonetheless, a beautiful and successful day out at sea!
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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.
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.
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.
Common Dolphin Common Dolphin
With an 'hourgalss' patch on either side and aerial activity the common dolphin is an agile and majestic species, that may easily reach a speed of 40km/h.
Brydes Whale Brydes Whale
The mysterious Bryde's whales visit the Dyer Island area throughout the year, with most sightings occurring during summer into winter.
