Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 29 January
Written by January 29 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 29 January 2026:
This morning, we were ready to head out to sea and excited about what might wait for us today. Our first encounter of today was super lucky as we spotted a Bryde’s whale pair in our bay. After we spent some time with them, we made our way down the coast towards the Shark cage diving boats. A few Bronze whaler sharks appeared while we visited the boat. We continued through the local reef system towards the island system. First off, Geyser Rock with its Cape fur seal colony, followed by Dyer Island and its colony of the critically endangered African Penguins. On the lookout for dolphins, we were led through deeper waters towards Danger Point. Lucky us, towards the end of the trip, we spotted a small pod of Common dolphins! Once again, thanks to everyone for joining our Marine Big 5 adventures!
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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.
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.
