Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 30 June
Written by June 30 2026
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa – Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 30 June 2026:
We enjoyed two Marine Big 5 trips, each filled with unforgettable wildlife encounters. Both tours began with bronze whaler sharks in the shallow waters around the shark cage diving boats. At Dyer Island, penguin sightings differed between the trips. While only a few guests on the first tour managed to spot the critically endangered African penguins, the second trip was lucky with a raft of penguins at sea. Geyser Rock was alive with thousands of Cape fur seals. Later in the day we were surprised by the arrival of an elephant seal at the colony, a rare and exciting bonus for everyone on board. The first trip also delivered some humpback whale sightings in deeper waters. A shy southern right whale greeted us early in the tour, on our second trip of the day. To top it all off, we were lucky enough to encounter a sunfish behind Dyer Island, making an already memorable trip even more special.
Every outing on the water is different, and these two trips were a wonderful reminder of the amazing wildlife found in our bay.
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What species did we see today?
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.
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.
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.
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.
