Marine Big 5 Daily Blog 9 June
Written by June 9 2024
Whale Watching near Cape Town, South Africa Welcome to Gansbaai, home of the Marine Big 5.
Trip Summary 09 June 2024:
We had a great day at sea with some light wind. Shortly after we passed Uilenkraalsmond we spotted a pod of 7 humpback dolphins. We also looked great at the Bronze whalers sharks and approached Dyer Island to see the endangered African Penguins. Most of the Cape fur seals were gathered on Geyser Rock whilst some were playful in the water. Out in the deep, we had several spouts at first but struggled to get great look at the whales but at the end, we found a surface active humpback whale. It first breached and the slapped its flippers numerous times onto the surface before throwing its tail into the air, what a great end to the tour.
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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.
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.
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.