Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 24 December
Written by December 24 2023
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 24 December 2023:
Heading into a sunny day out at sea today. As usual, we left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us and moved towards the natural estuary where we started our search for the marine animals passing our bay. On both trips, we were lucky enough to have spotted the endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphin. Cruising along the shoreline we made it to the Shark cage diving boats where our guests got to see the Bronze whaler sharks circling the boat and investigating the divers in the cage. Moving on, we passed De Clyde, the reef system before heading to the Islands where we stopped by the African Penguin colony on Dyer Island and watched the Cape fur seals in Shark Alley and on Geyser Rock. After spending some time in the Alley it was time for us to head back to Kleinbaai Harbour. Thanks to everyone for joining our Marine Big 5 trips and we wish you all a Merry Christmas!
Trip 1
Trip 2
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
