Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 25 May
Written by May 25 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 25 May 2026:
With beautiful conditions, guests and crew alike were ready to head to sea. On both trips we were able to stop by our Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin, with Bronze whaler sharks appearing in no time! The critically endangered African Penguins were hiding away on Dyer Island. But with the trained eyes of our crew we were able to spot them. Our Cape fur seal colony on Geyser Rock warmed up quite a bit with the sun hitting the island which resulted in numerous seals being in the water, nice and close to the boat. For our bird lovers, Giant Petrels also found their way closer to the islands. Humpback whales were seen on both trips, leaving our guests in awe. A small pod of bottlenose dolphin was seen at the end of our second trip , ending the day on a beautiful note
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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.
Sunfish Giant Petrel Giant Petrel
Around the Greater Dyer Island area we encounter both species of Giant Petrel, the Southern Giant Petrel and Northern Giant Petrel.
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.
