Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 31 January
Written by January 31 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 31 January 2024:
We welcomed our guests on Dream Catcher and were looking forward to another sunny day out at sea today. Heading out of Kleinbaai Harbour we headed over to the natural estuary where we started our lookout for marine animals in the area where we also got to spot an individual endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin. Moving down the coastline we eventually stopped by the Shark cage diving boats. We got a glimpse of the amazing Bronze whaler sharks circling our sister company Marine Dynamics boat Slashfin. After spending some time with them we continued our trip through the Reef system, De Clyde, and into deeper waters before moving on the the Island system. The Cape fur seal colony was watching us cruising up and down Shark Alley, whereas the endangered African Penguins were sitting on the boulders close to the water enjoying the sun.
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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.
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.
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.
