Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 26 January
Written by January 26 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 26 January 2026:
Boarding our whale-watching vessel, we made our way out of Kleinbaai Harbour and into the ocean to search for some amazing marine life. The weather was quite soothing with a light breeze and very little swell. Cruising along the coastline, a few Endangered Humpback dolphins were seen close to shore, with the misunderstood Bronze whaler sharks swimming about near our shark diving vessel. Our trip made its way into deeper waters where it was a little quieter, and a flock of beautiful birds were flying around, creating an even more magical scenery with a surprise sighting of a Sunfish. Although a Bryde’s whale was spotted, it was true to its shy and elusive nature, making it a bit difficult for us to get a good look at it. In Shark Alley, sheepish noises echoed into the atmosphere as the Cape fur seals were enjoying a dip in the water, with the African penguins being a bit more difficult to see as they were camouflaged in between the cormorants. Lucky for us, we saw a float of penguins on our way back to the harbour.
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What species did we see today?
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.
Cape Gannet Cape Gannet
Well documented for their aireal displays, experiences with with the famous Cape Gannet are always breath taking, and hold a special place in every photographers portfolio.
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.
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.
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.
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.
