Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 29 May
Written by May 29 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 29 May 2026:
The swell has calmed down overnight and we are ready for what has turned out to be another success! Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us we headed down the coast past the local estuary, towards our Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin. While still enjoying the Bronze whaler shark sighting we spotted one of the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins! After a lucky start, we made our way through the kelp forest and moved towards Dyer Island to search for the critically endangered African Penguins. Next up, Geyser Rock with its Cape fur seal colony. To wrap up the Marine Big 5, we also encountered a very active Humpback whale showing off!
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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.
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.
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.
