Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 24 February
Written by February 24 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 24 February 2025:
The day started overcast but eventually, the sun came through. Just past Uilenkraalsmond, we spotted the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin. At first, we struggled to see them as they were hanging around in the surf zone but after a couple of minutes of patience, we got to see them very nicely as they moved further out and approached our vessel. At one of the shark cage diving boats we saw the Bronze Whaler sharks and we found the Bryde’s whale in deeper waters. We saw two different individuals closer and some more spouts in the distance. Another highlight was the Cape fur seal colony with its pups, who started to swim. And just before heading back to Kleinbaai, we saw the critically endangered African penguin on Dyer Island and 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.
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.
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.
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.
