Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 8 November
Written by November 8 2022
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 8 November 2022:
A bright and early start, we spent much of our day out in the bay enjoying some incredible marine wildlife sightings. Whilst this is the time of the year that the Southern right whales start to head back down south we were lucky enough that all of our trips were able to see a mother-calf pair, including a beautiful brindle calf. We have had some luck with some dolphin sightings with the early morning trip seeing the Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins and the early afternoon trip encountering a lovely pod of Bottlenose dolphins. Each of our trips also enjoyed a visit to the Shallows where the shark cage diving vessels operate with the Bronze whaler sharks present for the day and a visit to the island system to enjoy the local seabirds such as the endangered African penguins and the local Cape fur seal colony with the bonus sighting of a Sunfish. An all-round sensational day out in the bay.
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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.
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.
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.
Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose Dolphin
At present there are two recognized species of bottlenose dolphin, and in some cases, both species can be found in the same area. The two species are the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus). In addition, there is a great deal of variation in colouration, diet and behaviour. The difference between the common bottlenose and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin are subtle, but the common bottlenose dolphin generally larger and more robust with a slight darker colouration.
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 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.
