Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 29 January
Written by January 29 2025
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 29 January 2025:
We are back after two days! Even though the wind was still coming in a little stronger it had settled quite a bit and we had a trip with a calm sea ahead of us. Excited to finally head back out to sea we welcomed our guests aboard Dream Catcher. Starting in deeper waters we encountered a small raft of the endangered African Penguins before we made a quick stop around Danger Point lighthouse. Along the way, we encountered several Pelagic bird species such as White-Chinned Petrels and numerous Cory’s Shearwater. After we had noticed this side of the bay being rather quiet we continued towards Pearly Beach. Shortly after we encountered diving birds and lucky us, a Bryde’s whale! Being busy feeding we got a few looks at the individual after some longer dives. Eventually, we made our way towards the island system where Cape fur seals left an impression on our guests! A short stop close to Dyer Island allowed us some more looks at the critically endangered African Penguins. Heading towards shallow areas we stopped by Marine Dynamics Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin. Shortly after arrival at the anchor spot the Bronze whaler sharks arrived. Great visibility made it even easier to spot the sharks around Dream Catcher! Towards the end of the trip, we were rewarded with a pod of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins swimming alongside the vessel in a very relaxed manner!
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
