Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 30 August
Written by August 30 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 30 August 2024:
Another day was packed with sightings. We welcomed both groups on our whale-watching vessel Dream Catcher. Leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us we made our way along the coastline towards the Shallows, where the local Shark cage diving companies operate. After a bit of patience, we were lucky to have had a glimpse of the incredible Bronze whaler sharks. Once it was time for us to continue we made our way through the kelp forest towards Pearly Beach where we got rewarded with some pairs of Southern Right whales. After some close-up encounters, we let them be and headed towards the island system. Shark Alley was occupied by numerous Cape fur seals swimming in the water while even more were relaxing on the island. Unfortunately due to some swell reaching Dyer Island, we could not head to close. On the first trip, we came across an African Penguin while we spent some time with the whales, whereas on the second trip, we were able to head a little closer.
Trip 1
Trip 2
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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 Cormorant Cape Cormorant
One of the most famous species of Cormorant in the Western Cape, the Cape Cormorant is well known for it's beautiful turquoise eye and impressive size.
