Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 28 May
Written by May 28 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 28 May 2024:
Welcoming our guests on our whale-watching vessel Dream Catcher we left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us and headed further into the bay. Shortly after departure, we were met by the biggest member of the Marine Big 5, a Bryde’s whale! After spending a bit more time around the whale we let it be and encountered a sunfish swimming just underneath the surface. Safe to say we noticed rather quickly that it is rather busy around our area today as we have spotted several African Penguins, seabirds and some more Bryde’s whales out in the open! Heading over to the island system, we stopped by Geyser Rock, the Cape fur seal colony. Cruising up and down Shark Alley, curious fur seals had their eyes on us. Once it was time to say goodbye to them we made a brief stop at Dyer Island home of the endangered African Penguins. To our surprise, close to the island, we encountered a Southern Right whale pair! Even though we had quite some sightings already we were not done yet. Continuing our way through the reef system, we made it into the Shallows. While stopping by Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin we got a glimpse of the amazing Bronze whaler sharks. Even a Short-tailed Stingray made an appearance during our stop. After a trip full of great sightings it was time for us to head back to Kleinbaai Harbour.
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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 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.
Sunfish 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.
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.
