Penguins and more! Marine Big 5 Daily Blog
Written by January 7 2021
It has been a sunny day all along with a breeze from the south. Out in the morning on our first trip we spotted four Bottlenose dolphins just outside the harbour and as we were busy observing them, we saw a few Indian Ocean humpback dolphins close by. How amazing to see these two species nearby. We cruised along the coast and made slowly our way towards Dyer Island to see some African penguins and other seabirds from the area. But before heading back we also stopped in Shark Alley to see the Cape Fur seals and made a pass at the cage diving boats in the shallows to see some sharks.
On our second tour we were cruising again slowly along the coast, passing the shark cage diving boats to see the Bronze Whaler shark and we have been lucky to also have quick look at two Storm petrels. Having just seen one of the smallest seabirds, we spotted one of the larger ones at Dyer Island, a Giant Petrel, with a wingspan of up to 2.1 meter. After seeing some penguins, we moved on to Shark Alley and were passing Geyser Rock with all the Cape Fur seals. It’s always great to observe them on the island or swimming alongside the boat, popping their head out of the water.
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.
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.
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.
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.
