Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 30 January
Written by January 30 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 30 January 2026:
What a wonderful day we had, leaving Kleinbaai Harbour behind us, we spotted Common dolphins shortly after. Lucky already, we spotted another species of dolphins, the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins! Bryde’s whales were found in proximity in the bay, too. We were able to spend time with all the individuals and got some nice, close-up looks at all our marine mammals today. After a successful start to the trip, we stopped by the Shark cage diving boats, where numerous Bronze whalers investigated both divers and our vessel, too. Heading through the kelp forest, we made our way towards Dyer Island, where some of the critically endangered African Penguins were seen hidden between Cape Cormorants. Last but not least, we made a stop in world-famous Shark Alley, where Cape fur seals were either cooling down within the channel or soaking up the sun on Geyser Rock.
TripAdvisor – https://bit.ly/2YZ0jDR
Google – https://g.page/r/Caej8uYZYnR8EBE/review
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WhaleWatchSA
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.
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.
