Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 29 May
Written by May 29 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 29 May 2024:
To say the least, we got another sunny day full of sightings ahead of us. Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us we headed toward the natural estuary of the area. Starting our lookout for any marine wildlife in the area we headed over to the Shallows where we got the chance to stop by our sister company Marine Dynamics and their Shark cage diving vessel Slashfin. Several Bronze Whaler sharks were already investigating divers in their cage which allowed us to get some immediate good views of this incredible species. Along the way, we were met by hundreds of Cape Cormorants, the most abundant species of seabirds nesting on Dyer Island. We moved into Pearly Beach to try and spot some whales. Not long after we spotted two Southern Right whales! Happy to say they are slowly but surely making their way back to South African coastal waters! After spending some time with them we decided to let them be and headed over to the island system. At Geyser Rock the Cape fur seals were cooling down in the cold waters of Shark Alley whereas others were taking all the sun in on the island. Heading over to Dyer Island we got to spot some endangered African Penguins sitting on the boulders close to the beach. On our way back to the harbour we came across two beautiful Humpback whales. They were incredibly relaxed which gave us an amazing opportunity to check their beauty.
The second trip got as lucky as the second and we encountered a single Southern Right whale. We also saw some Bronze Whaler sharks, Cape Fur seals and African penguins.
Trip 1
Trip 2
Tripadvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
What species did we see today?
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.
Southern Right Whale Southern Right Whale
Southern right whales attract thousands of visitors every year to experience these gentle giants off the South African coast.
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.
Giant Petrel Giant Petrel
Around the Greater Dyer Island area we encounter both species of Giant Petrel, the Southern Giant Petrel and Northern Giant Petrel.
