Marine Big 5 day! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by November 9 2021
It has been another sunny day with great weather and sightings. To see some southern right whales, we were heading to Pearly Beach, where we still found a couple of cow-calf pairs in very shallow waters. On our first tip we had a playful calf breaching a few times in the distance and slapping its tail once we got a bit closer. On the second tour we had a curious calf that came really close to our vessel. Cruising through Shark Alley was especially great today with crystal clear waters, so we could see the Cape fur seals below the surface almost looking like ballerinas in the sea. Throughout the day we also spotted a couple of penguins out at sea as well as on Dyer Island and bronze whaler sharks at the shark cage diving boat.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
