Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 29 March
Written by March 29 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 29 March 2026:
A return to the water after a landlocked day due to weather conditions. Calm seas and blue skies awaited us as the trips launched from Kleinbaai Harbour. The bay offered incredible marine activity, with clear sightings of multiple Bryde’s whales amongst coastal birds, most notably the striking Cape gannets sitting on the water before taking flight in impressive numbers. Shark cage diving vessels within the shallows provided a glimpse of the Bronze whaler sharks, a graceful species that constitutes most of the shark sightings around the diving vessels. The waters of Shark Alley were paid a visit, with hundreds of Cape fur seals within the water, curiously investigating the vessel and charismatically moving through the water column. The neighbouring Dyer Island boasted the critically endangered African penguins, with some individuals sighted in the water for an up-close sighting of these distinctive birds. With an active bay, sightings and behaviours of these marine species made for a memorable morning on the water.
Trip 1.
Trip 2.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
