Penguins, a dolphin and whales! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by April 8 2021
Although it has been mostly overcast, we had perfect conditions to go out to sea with no wind and no swell. Out and along the coast we spotted several small groups of the endangered African penguins and a humpback dolphin traveling by itself. In the deeper waters beyond a reef system, we found a Bryde’s whale a couple of birds flying past. Geyser Rock seemed quite empty like the past few days but there were hundreds of Cape Fur seals swimming in the waters around it and curiously looking at us as we passed them. At the shark cage diving boat we got to see a stingray before moving on towards Kleinbaai where we ended our tour with thousands of Cape cormorants and another Bryde’s whale.
What species did we see today?
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.
Brydes Whale Brydes Whale
The mysterious Bryde's whales visit the Dyer Island area throughout the year, with most sightings occurring during summer into winter.
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 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.
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.
