Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 24 July
Written by July 24 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 24 July 2026:
After a day of not heading out at sea due to bad weather conditions, we are back and ready for what the ocean has to show us today. Throughout the day, we’ve had some lovely sightings of humpback whales. A few pods of African penguins were seen swimming out in the open, which was a lucky sight as it was a bit difficult to approach Dyer Island due to the swell. The Cape fur seals echoed their sheepish sounds as they greeted us in Shark Alley, with the bronze whaler shark showing off their bronze shimmer in the shallows. One of the highlights today for the skipper, crew and guests alike was the Diving Petrel that was spotted on one of our trips today, which was the first live-at-sea record of any Diving Petrel in Southern Africa.
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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.
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.
