Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 27 December
Written by December 27 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 27 December 2024:
We had a fantastic day at sea on all our tours today. We saw the Marien Big 5. Along the shallow waters close to the Uilenkraalsmond estuary, we found the endangered humpback dolphins. They were unusually active today, leaping out of the water and slapping their flukes onto the surface. Further along the coast we cruised past the shark cage diving boats and stopped for a short while to see the majestic Bronze Whaler sharks cruising through the clear water. On the island, we saw plenty of seabirds, including the critically endangered African Penguin. Dyer Island is currently also packed with Cape Cormorants incubation their eggs, patiently waiting for the chicks to hatch. A visit to Shark Alley was great, plenty of Cape fur seals swimming around and thousands of Cape fur seal pups to see on Geyser Rock. Not far from the island but in slightly deeper waters we saw some Bryde’s whales. What a great day to be at sea on a Marine Big 5 Tour!
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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.
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.
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.
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.
