Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 29 August
Written by August 29 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 29 August 2026:
Early mornings with Marine Dynamics! From dolphins to sharks, seals, penguins and whales. To start with, we were lucky to encounter another pod of Common dolphins swimming through the bay right after leaving the Harbour, and this time in a very relaxed manner! Bronze whaler sharks were seen throughout the day in the Shallows, an area well known for its shark density. Cape fur seals were out and about looking for prey, but of course thousands still stayed behind on Geyser Rock. The critically endangered African Penguins were roaming Dyer Island and getting ready to start their hunt in deeper waters too. Whales also had their time; either Humpback or Bryde‘s whales surfaced and offered some great looks!
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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.
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.
Common Dolphin Common Dolphin
With an 'hourgalss' patch on either side and aerial activity the common dolphin is an agile and majestic species, that may easily reach a speed of 40km/h.
