Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 24 July
Written by July 24 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 24 July 2024:
Who else is looking forward to a day out at sea? As spring tide is still present we had to launch from Gansbaai Harbour instead of the local harbour in Kleinbaai. As we made our way around Danger Point, we encountered our first sighting for the day, a large raft of the endangered African Penguins, made up of both adults and juveniles. Continuing into deeper waters we encountered a pair of Humpback whales. After the pair took a deep dive, we continued towards the Dyer Island system where the extensive Cape fur seal colony can be found, either playing in the waves or sunbathing on the remnants of the Prince Port wreck. We proceeded towards the shallow water of Pearly Beach where we came across some Southern Right whales, allowing guests an up-close interaction with these large animals. As we slowly began our return to Kleinbaai Harbour, a pod of Bottlenose dolphins surprised us, bow riding and breaching, a fantastic end to the trip.
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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.
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.
Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose Dolphin
At present there are two recognized species of bottlenose dolphin, and in some cases, both species can be found in the same area. The two species are the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus). In addition, there is a great deal of variation in colouration, diet and behaviour. The difference between the common bottlenose and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin are subtle, but the common bottlenose dolphin generally larger and more robust with a slight darker colouration.
