Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 24 March
Written by March 24 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 24 March 2025:
What a fantastic day out at sea! We left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us this morning and headed straight into deeper waters towards Danger Point. On our way, we encountered a raft of critically endangered African Penguins and some pelagic birds such as White-chinned Petrels. Around the Danger Point peninsula a few Bryde’s whales surfaced in the area. The island system was next on our itinerary. Cape fur seals were awaiting us on Geyser Rock while numerous others were following us up and down Shark Alley. We made another stop closer to Dyer Island where we got a few more views of the African Penguins sharing their space with countless Cape Cormorants. Passing the reef system we made it into the Shallows where Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin just anchored. Shortly after both their and our arrival a Bronze whaler shark made an appearance. Making our way down the coastline we spotted four of the endangered Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins close to shore in shallow waters.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
