Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 26 February
Written by February 26 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 25 February 2025:
Once again, we had a great time at sea, with some windy conditions and a slight swell. Just outside Kleinbaai we had our first sighting of an African penguin, followed shortly after by Indian Ocean humpback dolphins of the Franskraal coastline. As we were about to head on, we spotted a couple of whale spots in the bay and had some good looks at two Bryde’s whales. Next up was a visit to Huisbaai at Dyer Island where we saw more penguins in the distance. Our cruise through Shark Alley to watch the Cape fur seals was great and we saw thousands of them. Last up was a stop at ‘Slashfin’ our shark cage diving boat, where most got to see a Bronze Whaler shark briefly.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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 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.
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.
