Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 28 August, Marine Big 5!
Written by August 28 2022
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 28 August 2022:
We had four fantastic trips today out at sea aboard the Dream Catcher. On our first three trips of the day, we spotted 5 out of 5 of our Marine Big 5, to the delight of our crew and guests on board! Our sightings included Southern Right whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Bronze Whaler sharks, Cape Fur seals, and African Penguins. We also witnessed spectacular bird life such as Little Egrets, Ruddy Turnstones, African Oystercatchers, Giant Petrels, White Chin Petrels, and Egyptian Geese. Our fourth and final trip of the day saw four of our five species. Sadly, the dolphins alluded us; however, we still had some phenomenal marine wildlife sightings!
On all four today’s trips, we paid a visit to our 60,000-strong Cape Fur seal colony on Geyser Rock and spotted some African penguins on Dyer Island. Over by our shark cage diving vessel, we witnessed some incredible bronze whaler shark action. Our Southern Right Whale sightings were brilliant, and on some of our trips, we were pleasantly surprised to spot a beautiful mother-calf pair who calmly cruised by the boat.
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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.
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.
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.
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
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.
