Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 29 April
Written by April 29 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 29 April 2024:
Another day out at sea for guests and crew! As usual, we left Kleinbaai Harbour behind us and headed towards the natural estuary. Shortly after a brief stop, we spotted some endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins surfing the waves close to the beach together with some Cape fur seals! Seeing the dolphins so active was a huge bonus to the already amazing sighting. We decided to head over to the Shallows. In this area, the local Shark cage diving companies operate and we stopped by our sister company Marine Dynamics vessel Slahsfin. Getting a few glimpses of the Bronze whaler shark we continued towards deeper waters. On the way out we encountered several pelagic birds diving and two Bryde’s whales in different locations! After we got to spend some time with both individuals we headed towards the island system. Entering Shark Alley we encountered a Giant Petrel and of course, got greeted by thousands of Cape fur seals. After it was time to say goodbye to the fur seals we headed over to Dyer Island, home to the endangered African Penguins.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
Giant Petrel Giant Petrel
Around the Greater Dyer Island area we encounter both species of Giant Petrel, the Southern Giant Petrel and Northern Giant Petrel.
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.
