Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 28 February
Written by February 28 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 28 February 2025:
What a trip to end the month! Before the trip, there was some drizzle, which cleared up once we headed down to the local harbour. Throughout the trip, the clouds faded more and more and left us with some sunshine towards the end. Shortly after leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us, we encountered a small pod of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins casually swimming alongside the boat offering some amazing looks. Our next stop led us into the Shallows, where the local Shark cage diving companies operate. While stopping by the Marine Dynamics vessel Slashfin, we got a few close-up glimpses at the incredible Bronze whaler sharks. Moving on, we stopped by the island system. The endangered African Penguins were occupying their favourite hangout spot in between numerous Cape Cormorants on Dyer Island. The Cape fur seals were climbing the rock on Geyser Rock while others enjoyed the cool waters of Shark Alley. Just after leaving the island system behind we spotted a Humpback Whale in the open! It decided to stay down for some longer dives. We decided to let the individual be and continued cruising through deeper waters until we spotted two Bryde’s whales! We got a few more looks at the elusive species before it was time to head back to Kleinbaai Harbour.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
